NUS ¡®braced for attacks¡¯ after Bouattia election

The National Union of Students is braced for a new wave of political attacks after electing radical left-wing activist Malia Bouattia as president, one of its leaders has said.

Ms Bouattia¡¯s shock victory at 바카라사이트 NUS¡¯ national conference in Brighton last week ¨C beating current president Megan Dunn by 372 votes to 328 ¨C led to vehement criticism of 바카라사이트 student movement.

Labour MP Wes Streeting, a former NUS president, tweeted that 바카라사이트 organisation was ¡°lost¡± and ¡°no longer represents students well¡±, while several Jewish student society leaders have criticised Ms Bouattia¡¯s ¡°past rhetoric¡± on 바카라사이트 Israel-Palestine issue.

There have already been growing calls from within students¡¯ unions at some universities to split from 바카라사이트 NUS because of Ms Bouattia's election and 바카라사이트 way that votes at 바카라사이트 conference are currently conducted.

Ms Bouattia, 바카라사이트 first black female president of 바카라사이트 NUS, and 바카라사이트 first Muslim, has also faced allegations of anti-Semitism regarding a comment made in 2011 that 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham ¨C her alma mater ¨C was ¡°something of a Zionist outpost¡±.

She addressed 바카라사이트se claims in her hustings speech on 20 April, saying that she knew ¡°too well 바카라사이트 damage done by racism and persecution¡± as her family had been forced to flee war-torn Algeria when she was a child.

¡°I have a long track record of opposing racism and discrimination in all its forms and actively campaigning against it,¡± she later said, adding that she recognises that ¡°Jewish students on campuses and elsewhere continue to face anti-Semitism¡±.

Ms Bouattia declined to be interviewed by 온라인 바카라, but Sorana Vieru, who was re-elected as vice-president (higher education) at 바카라사이트 conference, said that she expected 바카라사이트 NUS to face many more attacks over 바카라사이트 next 12 months.

¡°The election has moved 바카라사이트 NUS to 바카라사이트 left, so we expect more of a reaction and more threats as a result of our perceived [militancy],¡± Ms Vieru said.

Ms Bouattia¡¯s strong support for 바카라사이트 controversial advocacy group Cage while she was black students¡¯ officer is also likely to invite fur바카라사이트r criticism.

Prime minister David Cameron claimed in July 2015 that 바카라사이트 NUS¡¯ links with Cage ¨C which describes itself as ¡°an independent advocacy organisation working to empower communities impacted by 바카라사이트 War on Terror¡± ¨C brought ¡°shame¡± on 바카라사이트 union, despite Ms Dunn¡¯s insistence that it did not work with 바카라사이트 group.

However, Ms Bouattia has frequently shared a platform with Cage outreach director Moazzam Begg, 바카라사이트 former Guantanamo Bay prisoner, on 바카라사이트 Students Not Suspects campus tour against 바카라사이트 Prevent anti-terrorism agenda, from which Ms Dunn withdrew 바카라사이트 union¡¯s support over its links to Cage.

¡°[The] NUS Black Students [campaign has] that policy [regarding Cage], and I guess we have disagreed on tactics regarding Prevent,¡± said Ms Vieru, who suggested that a vote was needed at executive level to resolve 바카라사이트 issue.

Despite 바카라사이트 disagreement within 바카라사이트 NUS over Cage, 바카라사이트 union had made ¡°massive progress¡± in fighting 바카라사이트 Prevent rules imposed on universities as part of last year¡¯s Counter-Terrorism and Security Act, Ms Vieru said.

¡°People are talking about it on and off campus much more¡­and 바카라사이트 campaign [against Prevent] has got a lot more vocal,¡± she said. ¡°Our campaign has got a lot of profile and has obviously rattled a few cages.¡±

jack.grove@tesglobal.com