Former home secretary Suella Braverman was forced to postpone an event at Cambridge University because of what she called “mob rule” by a pro-Palestinian group.
Braverman, who was scheduled to give a talk to the Cambridge University Conservative Association (CUCA), told the JC: “A radical, militant student group has forced the cancellation of my speech at Cambridge University, using threats, intimidation, and mob-rule tactics.”
On Tuesday, a group called Cambridge for Palestine encouraged members to protest against her event, scheduled for Thursday October 10, and labelled her “far- right”, “hyper-authoritarian” and “everything we stand against” in a post on Instagram.
On Thursday, the group appeared to claim credit for the event’s cancellation, posting: “Too scary for Suella: Braverman event tomorrow (sic) cancelled due to our planned counter-protest”.
The former home secretary described this as “a direct attack on free speech and a calculated attempt to silence me”.
She continued: “This is not just an assault on me, but on the core British values that we must defend … On this, the week of the October 7 anniversary a day that marks one of the most brutal terrorist attacks in recent memory, I refuse to be intimidated by the pro-Palestinian mob.”
The JC understands that the university had no objections to Braverman’s presence on campus, and that she would be speaking to CUCA at a later date, but that the event had to be cancelled due to the last-minute need for a security presence, and costs associated with it, because of the anticipated protests.
According to the Telegraph, CUCA looked at paying for their own security but decided that the price of £1,500 was too expensive for the student organisation.
There had been suggestions that the event, originally due to be held at Corpus Christi College, could be moved to the Cambridge Union, but that proved to be impossible.
Braverman, herself a former chair of CUCA, said she was determined to speak at Cambridge in the future: “although the event has been delayed, it will go ahead on a future date. We will not be bullied into silence. Especially at a time when Labour is tearing apart essential free speech protections, Conservatives will never back down.”
She added: “I stand firm, as do millions of British people who will not tolerate mob rule or the erosion of our freedoms.”
In office, Braverman referred to pro-Palestinian protests in the aftermath of October 7 as “hate marches”. She was sacked as home secretary by then-prime minister Rishi Sunak for questioning the Metropolitan Police’s approach to them protests and said in an article in the Times that they were being treated leniently compared to far-right protests.
A spokesperson for the University of Cambridge told the JC: “The University is fully committed to freedom of speech within the law and respects the right to protest within the law. This was not a University or College event, and we were informed yesterday of the external organisers’ decision to postpone.”
