London, United Kingdom – Khadija* was just seven weeks into her degree when she received an early-morning phone call from King's College London that left her scared and confused. The then-18-year-old was told she had made “inappropriate and offensive remarks” about a lecturer who had served in the Israeli army. Over the next five months, she underwent a disciplinary process that banned her from attending the lecturer's classes and ordered her to write a 2,000-word “reflective” essay. She was also considered for referral to the UK government's “counterterrorism” programme, Prevent, which rights groups have criticised for disproportionately targeting Muslims.
The incident occurred last year after the teenager posted in a pro-Gaza student WhatsApp group, saying she felt “sick” upon discovering her lecturer's LinkedIn profile showing four years of service in the Israeli army and reposted content defending Israel's treatment of Palestinians. At that time, Israel's genocidal war on Gaza had killed at least 67,194 people.
A joint investigation by Al Jazeera and Liberty Investigates found that King's College London has launched disciplinary investigations into at least 26 students for pro-Palestine protest activity between October 2023 and November 2025 – the highest number among British universities. Freedom of Information requests to 156 universities revealed that 42 institutions have investigated 236 students and staff.
A King's spokesperson said the university “does not discipline students for lawful affiliations, including support for pro-Palestine views”. However, Luqmaan Waqar, president-elect of King's students' union, accused the university of “weaponising arbitrary investigations to dissuade participation in protest”. The UN special rapporteur for freedom of peaceful assembly, Gina Romero, called the situation “utterly disturbing”.
Of the 26 students, 13 were investigated for involvement in an encampment protest in May 2025. Nine received formal warnings for setting up tents in breach of health and safety rules. Six were sanctioned for attempting to disrupt three separate events. Egyptian student Usama Ghanem was indefinitely suspended, leading to his visa being revoked and risking deportation to a country where he claims he was tortured.
The university faces criticism over its ties to weapons companies. Since 2020, King's has received at least £3.3 million from research partnerships with BAE Systems, Thales and Rolls Royce, which produce components for F-35 jets used to bomb Gaza. Students are demanding divestment from companies complicit in Israel's actions.
Khadija described the disciplinary process as a “humiliation ritual”. “It really messed me up,” she said, as she prepares to begin her second year.
Source: www.aljazeera.com