Goldsmiths, University of London has been slammed following its publication of an independent report into antisemitism at the art college. In a highly detailed account, investigators verified at least 15 serious allegations, among others, ranging from the activities of the student union and student Islamic societies, through to the conduct and treatment of teaching staff.
The report, published on Thursday, June 26th, some three years after Goldsmiths announced an “independent review into antisemitism at the College” found:
- Graffiti on campus containing swastikas and the words “Gas the Jews;”
- QR codes on campus with the text “What you need to know about the Jews,” leading to images of concentration camps.
- The Islamic Society’s alleged religious messaging implying that the Hamas October 7th pogrom was “justified or a message from God”.
The report goes on to detail incidents of harassment directed at Jewish students and staff, all recorded after reports of Professor David Hirsh being called a “far-right white supremacist” by the then-Students’ Union President on social media—likely the catalyst for the investigation itself.
Hirsh’s initial, backlash-sparking observation, that there “is an antisemitic edge to official, institutional, university campaigns to ‘decolonise’ education,” has been more than vindicated by the investigation into the once-prestigious art college.
This is not the first time that Goldsmiths student politics drew national attention. In 2023, London Metropolitan Police was criticised after Bahar Mustafa—welfare and diversity officer of Goldsmiths Students’ Union, who posted the phrase “KillAllWhiteMen” online—escaped prosecution.
