SOAS University has expelled Haya Adam, president of its
Palestine Society, after a yearlong suspension and fierce activism concerning
Gaza. Adam and her supporters call the move a suppression of free speech, while
the university insists disciplinary action is unrelated to pro-Palestinian
views, citing harassment as the cause.
SOAS Expels Pro-Palestine Student Activist
In early August 2025, the University of London’s School of
Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) officially expelled Haya Adam, the
outspoken leader of its Palestine Society, following a 15-month campus protest
against the university’s alleged ties to Israel’s military actions in Gaza. The
expulsion, announced by disciplinary committee decision, marked what many
activists describe as a significant escalation in UK campus censorship
connected to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Leadership in Prolonged Campus Protests
As reported by AhlulBayt News Agency, Haya Adam, a law
student and president of the SOAS Palestine Society, played a driving role in a
protest encampment lasting over 15 months. The encampment, which began after
the escalation of violence in Gaza in October 2023, demanded the university
investigate perceived complicity with Israel, including research collaborations
and financial linkages through partners like Barclays Bank.
Adam’s activism, described as “uncompromising” by several
outlets, propelled her into a prominent position within the international
student movement for Palestinian rights. Her actions included organising
rallies, challenging university leadership, and using social media to publicise
the campaign.
Disciplinary Charges and University Justification
Harassment Allegation: The Official Reason
Middle East Eye’s (MEE) coverage reports that Adam received an expulsion notification via email on 6 August 2025. According to the university, the expulsion cited
“harassment, abusive behaviour and operational obstruction,”
centring on a video posted 16 January to the campus encampment’s Instagram,
wherein Adam criticised SOAS Students’ Union co-president Safia, accusing her
of “serving institutional oppression” and labelling her a “careerist.” The
university’s disciplinary panel determined this video amounted to harassment,
despite the union officer herself declining to categorise the remarks as such
during internal discussions.
Prior to her expulsion, Adam endured months of
suspension—effectively barring her from campus and limiting access to course
materials—amid an ongoing campaign by SOAS administrators to discipline those
perceived as disruptive to university operations.
University Policy and Public Defence
SOAS leadership has responded robustly to charges that Adam’s removal was politically motivated. In a statement cited by both SOAS’s official news blog and The New Arab, the administration insisted it
“has never and will never take disciplinary action against students for their views on, or for protesting about, Israel and Palestine.”
Instead, disciplinary actions were
described as responses to “serious misconduct,” including, but not limited to,
vandalism, exam disruption, and threats to staff or students.
“Rules and sanctions apply equally to all, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, nationality, political beliefs, or whether a cause is perceived as ‘progressive’ or ‘conservative,’”
stated the blog authored by SOAS
leadership, with specific disciplinary details withheld for privacy reasons.
Student and Public Reactions: Suppression Alleged
Adam’s Response
As reported by Middle East Eye journalist Areeb Ullah, Adam
challenged the university’s justification:
“SOAS is trying to use me as an example in order to silence and intimidate the rest of the student body, and they're doing this to students who are speaking up against genocide,”
she told MEE, vowing to challenge the decision through
all possible avenues.
She reiterated that her criticisms in the video
“were political and part of holding the institution to account,”
arguing that by the legal and SOAS definitions of harassment, her conduct fell
“well within the boundaries of protected freedom of speech and assembly.”
Adam further declared
the expulsion is “a crackdown on our freedom of speech and assembly, but more
specifically, it's a crackdown on the Palestine movement”.
“My expulsion is a brutal reminder that SOAS, despite its facade, serves as a tool of empire and represses those who oppose it,” Adam stated to Maktoob Media, referencing what she called the university’s “decolonial façade”.
Academic Solidarity and Alumni Protest
Dr Grietje Baars, Reader in Law at SOAS and associate at the
Centre for Palestine Studies, condemned the university’s action in a statement
to Middle East Eye:
“Expelling Adam is a grave mistake on the part of the university… Our students are not afraid. They’re not going to be intimidated into silence.”
Notably, Dr Asim Qureshi, Research Director at CAGE
International and a SOAS alumnus, publicly burned his SOAS master’s degree in
protest, sharing his act on social media:
“They have chosen to unfairly punish her, so I don’t want to be associated with a university that markets decoloniality while punishing those who practice it,” Qureshi told The Tab.
More than 20 SOAS student societies also signed a statement
condemning Adam’s expulsion, and a petition calling for her reinstatement began
circulating this week.
Broader Context: Legal and Political Pressure
Adam’s case is part of a larger trend. The University of
London obtained a High Court injunction in late 2024, pre-emptively banning
student demonstrations on its campuses. SOAS invoked this and other legal
measures to discipline protest leaders. Adam herself was one of three students
named in the university’s legal submission. The main encampment was
subsequently relocated off campus, and is now noted as the world’s
longest-running pro-Palestine student demonstration.
SOAS’ Ongoing Defence of Academic Freedom
The university continues to maintain its commitment to
freedom of expression. In a statement to The New Arab and elsewhere, SOAS
reiterated that hundreds of peaceful pro-Palestine events have occurred without
incident:
“In a small number of cases involving serious misconduct… we have taken appropriate action to uphold the safety and integrity of our university. We remain devastated by the loss of life in Israel on 7 October and the ongoing destruction of Gaza, and we continue to call for an immediate ceasefire”.
The Aftermath and Future Implications
Haya Adam has stated her intention to appeal the expulsion
through all available channels, declaring,
“I will never stop what I’m doing, and the university will never silence or intimidate me because we’re doing all of this for our Palestinian brothers and sisters… There is an intensifying genocide that has been going on continuously, so it’s our responsibility and moral duty to speak up” (Middle East Eye).
The university’s disciplinary action against Adam stands as
an inflection point in the debate about academic freedom, student protest, and
political expression in British higher education. As campus activism regarding
Palestine continues globally, the SOAS case will remain a closely-watched
precedent and a lightning rod for contested claims around free speech,
institutional power, and protest.