Police probe ‘vile’ anti-Semitic stickers at Bournemouth University
Jewish students report offensive material which on Talbot campus, as university authorities urge better reporting of hate crime
Police are investigating after anti-Semitic stickers were put up at Bournemouth University.
They suggest conspiracy theories about 9/11 and a plot to create a ‘Greater Israel’.
Two stickers were found in a bathroom on Talbot campus, with one picturing Syria’s Bashar Al-Assad, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Iran’s Hassan Rouhani against the background of a Star of David.
Dorset Police said inquiries were ongoing but no arrests had been made.
A spokesperson for Bournemouth University said: “We remind staff and students of BU’s commitment to reporting hate crimes. We take all incidences of abuse seriously and anyone found to have breached these rules will be subject to internal disciplinary proceedings.”
President of Bournemouth University’s student Jewish society, Joseph Serfaty, said the posters were placed “to clearly intimidate and troll Jewish students by perpetuating old-school Nazi-style anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.”
He said they have been in touch with the Community Security Trust and Union of Jewish Students as well as university authorities. “We expect to see our union make a clear stance to rid all forms of racism on campus. The Jewish community in Bournemouth is strong and resilient. We will not let this dampen our spirits or affect our education,” he added.
The Union of Jewish Students tweeted it “is dismayed to see that antisemitic posters have been found at the University of Bournemouth. The use of insidious antisemitic conspiracy theories to intimidate Jewish students is appalling”, adding that they’ll “be working closely with CST (Community Security Trust) to support Jewish students in Bournemouth. We hope that the University of Bournemouth will act swiftly to investigate this incident.”
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