James Newton

A British university student is facing prosecution after comparing a Keffiyeh worn by a pro-Palestinian activist to a “tea towel” during Freshers’ Fair at @RoyalHolloway. 20-year-old Brodie Mitchell told the President of the Friends of Palestine Society, Huda El-Jamal, that her keffiyeh looked like a “tea towel” after she called him a “wannabe Jew” because he was defending Israel and mocked him for not wearing a Jewish “hat”. In a classic case of double standards on campus, Brodie was handed a nine-week suspension the following day “for alleged conduct that could be considered hate speech”. He was told his comments were “Islamophobic”, “racist”, and “anti-Palestinian” and was barred from campus and forced to leave his student accommodation. Surrey Police have now confirmed they have sent a file to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for a charging decision — meaning Brodie could face prosecution for saying El-Jamal’s headscarf looked like a “tea towel”. Meanwhile, she faced no disciplinary action and continued her studies as normal. Welcome to two-tier Britain. The case could be the first of many, given the Government’s decision to publish an official definition of “anti-Muslim hostility” and encourage universities to embed it in their speech policies. The definition is already being used to silence legitimate criticism of Islam. The Free Speech Union is supporting Brodie. With our help, he has been allowed back on campus, but under conditions that dictate who he can speak to and what he’s allowed to say. With our support, Brodie is taking Royal Holloway to the High Court, arguing he was unfairly forced to miss seven weeks of teaching, potentially delaying completion of his degree. We’ve also provided him with a top-notch criminal legal team in case the CPS decides to prosecute him. His own university, Royal Holloway, is spending nearly three-quarters of a million pounds defending its actions. At a recent hearing, it initially said its total costs could be as high as £734,000, with the risk that Brodie will have to pay them if he loses. In other words, the university is trying to scare him into dropping the case. But we’ve got his back. Welcome to the reality of free speech on English university campuses. In the absence of the complaints scheme that was legislated for in the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act being activated by Bridget Phillipson – she has delayed doing so for 18 months now – these are the ruinous costs facing students who want to stand up for their right to free speech. On this week’s episode of the FSU Podcast, Brodie Mitchell (@BrodieMitchell1) shares his story with @_ConnieShaw. The full episode is available on the FSU YouTube channel (link in first reply).