Thread by @Crystal_Ennis

They are brave and they know how to exercise their academic freedom to speak about Palestine. Today they faced an alarming breach of this by Leiden University security. 🧵 1/

https://twitter.com/Crystal_Ennis/status/1721848463875268911

Students, tired of waiting for their lecturers to organise teach-ins & academic discussions of current events in Palestine & Israel, took it upon themselves to organise a moment in a public space of the university building. 2/

I happened upon this student-led teach-in (Wijnhaven, the Hague campus) after finishing my lecture this afternoon. There was a sizeable peaceful gathering of students listening to some prepared speeches read by students & colleagues who joined in support. 3/

Others continued to work nearby. The presentations ended and the crowd dispersed in under an hour. There were university security men standing around the gathering but to me, a late comer, they appeared to be letting the discussion happen. A relief. But felt too soon. 4/

Most attendees/observers dispersed & I chatted with colleagues & students lingering. We expressed our pride in student determination to discuss Palestine despite official attempts at silencing. We started to head to the exit, making our way down the 'Spanish steps' to the door.5/

I saw police had been called & were standing near the exit with some of the university security men. Security walked directly to some of the visible minority students & asked them to come with them & show their ID. It struck me as bizarre & alarming. 6/

One colleague walked alongside a student to usher him away from security & out of the building. I put my arm around another & said loudly, "oh come with me I want to chat with you outside for a minute." The students were clearly stunned by measures to detain them. 7/

We walked outside with the students to exit university property calmly & safely, behaving as allies & trying to protect students while security tried to detain them again outside the building. These were calm & peaceful students who maintained their cool. 8/

A colleague spoke with security & we began to walk away from the building with the students, toward the city centre. It soon became clear that university security men were following us. (I took some photos. A student filmed). 9/

We had planned to go home but changed our minds to stay with the students. We continued toward the shopping centre & security continued to follow. We went into a shop. Leiden University security men followed us into the store,
hovering by the entrance.10/

This was incredibly intimidating & threatening behaviour. Students & staff are actively being made to feel unsafe to discuss Palestine/Israel - even those of us whose job it is to teach the Middle East. We were followed off campus! Into a store! 11/

Two of my colleagues approached the two security men at the store asking for an explanation. They refused to explain why they were following & intimidating students. We explained how unacceptable this behaviour was, & that we would file complaints. 12/

My colleague tried to call someone in senior University admin, & one security man too stepped outside the store to make a call. After he spoke to someone, he knocked on the window calling his colleague out & they finally left. 13/

I am shocked by the university's attempt to silence a student discussion in a public area of a university building. This was unacceptable policing & suppression of free speech & academic freedom. The students & participating staff I observed were nothing but respectful. 14/

I am even more stunned & shocked by the rapid statement by Leiden U executive board smearing the students & staff present. This is an appalling breach of trust & censure of debate. This actively makes students, colleagues, and myself feel unsafe. /15 staff.universiteitleiden.nl/news/2023/11/l…

I was going to refrain from tweeting this story & wait until I had filed an official complaint tomorrow about the security behaviour I experienced. This statement made me feel it was urgent to share what I observed. /16

I am moreover alarmed to learn that at the start of the student-led peaceful sit-in (before I joined), security physically shoved students & filmed them, creating an environment of intimidation & harrassment. Bless the students for being so composed & peaceful after this... 17/

Only to then be smeared in bad faith by the University, who did not bother to check events with their academic colleagues present. /18