The Cambridge Students’ Union (SU) has decisively voted to disaffiliate from the National Union of Students (NUS) in a recent referendum.

Cambridge Students’ Union boots the NUS

This move has been driven by concerns over the NUS’s continued use of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which equates antisemitism with anti-Zionism, and its failure to support pro-Palestinian student activism, particularly during the genocide in Gaza. The vote concluded with 1,772 votes in favour of disaffiliation, 1,284 against, and 719 abstentions, a massive win for all those students who had campaigned and mobilised for positive change.

The Canary contacted all parties involved for comment, but has not received any responses.

The Cambridge SU motion cited the NUS’s lack of action on calls from students to promote Palestinian causes, claiming that the union has selectively supported causes aligned with its internal agenda, while neglecting others, especially those related to Palestinian rights and activism, while also ‘failing to act on growing Islamophobia’.

​The vote also included a referendum on whether Cambridge SU should campaign for the end of university investments and collaborations with institutions associated with occupation and weapons manufacturing.

The motion for divestment had strong backing, with over 3,200 students voting in favour. Cambridge’s activism has already seen notable successes, including King’s College, one of its most prominent colleges, deciding to divest from arms and occupation-linked companies back in May of this year.​

Cambridge SU’s activism and votes are reflective of a growing student movement towards ethical investment, Palestinian solidarity, and holding institutions accountable for their associations with genocide and occupation. ​

Featured image via the Canary

By Charlie Jaay

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