A subject association has called for an independent inquiry into the suspension of a University of Nottingham academic for criticising the university’s role in the arrest of an administrator and a student under the terrorism act.

Inderjeet Parmar, BISA chairman, has now sent an open letter to Nottingham vice-chancellor David Greenaway reporting “a strong feeling of unease and concern” amon…

Critics say that link to government's counter-terrorism strategy targeting radicalisation 'could fuel Islamophobia'.

Confidential documents relating to a "major Islamist plot" have revealed that security staff from a leading university have been secretly filming students on campus as a method of monitoring potential extremists.

More than 200 university documents – along with material from th…

There has been growing anger at the University of Nottingham’s attempts to silence Dr Rod Thornton, author of a critical article which exposes the complicity of university management in the wrongful arrests of the ‘Nottingham Two’. A student and a member of staff – Rizwaan Sabir and Hicham Yezza – were arrested as suspected terrorists in May 2008. On Tuesday 10th May, a letter calling…

"REINSTATE DR ROD THORNTON", DECLARE WORLD SCHOLARS AHEAD OF PROTEST

In a letter published by The Guardian on May 10 2011 [1], 70 leading academics and scholars from across the world, including Professors Noam Chomsky, Neera Chandhoke, Paul Gilroy and Charles Tripp, have called for the reinstatement of Dr. Rod Thornton (QGM) with immediate effect. This letter comes ahead of Thursday's (12 May) pl…

Last week, an article entitled, ‘Radicalisation at universities or radicalisation by universities?’ by University of Nottingham academic Rod Thornton was published, shedding more light on the case of the “Nottingham Two”. This article has now been removed from the website of the British International Studies Association (BISA) allegedly under pressure from the University, who have also now sus…

Dr Rod Thornton was suspended this afternoon by Nottingham University for exposing how the university caused the arrest of two innocent men as suspected terrorists. The new whistle-blowing report from Dr Thornton – ‘How a student’s use of a library book became a “major Islamist plot”’ – exposed how senior University management reported the men and undertook a subsequent campaign to discredit them …

The website of the British International Studies Association [1] has removed a whistle-blowing article written by Dr Rod Thornton [2], a former soldier turned academic who served in a counter-terrorism role in Northern Ireland. Dr Thornton’s article – ‘How a student’s use of a library book became a “major Islamist plot”’ - exposes how senior management at the University of Nottingham…

Rod Thornton, a University of Nottingham lecturer who became embroiled in the struggle for justice for Rizwaan Sabir and Hicham Yezza, has published his extensive account of the case of the Nottingham Two. Pieced together from heavily redacted Freedom of Information requests, Rizwaan's Data Protection Access requests and even meetings with Special Branch officers, it paints a damning picture of th…

Radicalisation at universities or radicalisation by universities?: How a student’s use of a library book became a “major Islamist plot”

Rod Thornton

In May 2008, on the campus of the University of Nottingham, two men of ethnic minority background - a student and an administrator - were arrested and held for six days under the Terrorism Act 2000. Their crime was to have in their posses…

From 18th-20th April, the University of Nottingham hosted a meeting of the Association of University Administrators. Minister for Universities David Willetts was to attend, but had dropped out in advance. In response, Nottingham Students Against Fees and Cuts organised a protest.

"A group of approximately 40 students from local universities and colleges confronted Universities Minister David Willetts MP outside the annual Lord Dearing conference on “The Globalization of Higher Education” held at Nottingham University. After trying to present the minister with a set of proposals from students about alternatives to the cuts that had been drawn on a banner, a number of t…

On Friday 3rd December, the students occupying the Great Hall at the University of Nottingham agreed to leave, in return for a meeting with the Vice Chancellor. This is not the end of the campaign and on Saturday, students protested in the Market Square, joining up with other local anti-cuts campaigners.

On the newswire: Action on fees and education cuts in Nottingham | Billy Bragg "I don't B…

Great Hall, Trent Building, University of Nottingham

After university security playing some pretty obvious tricks on them ("you're in contravention of health and safety", "there's a wedding scheduled to take place in the room"), Nottingham students seem to have caved in and ended their occupation of the Great Hall. Leaving the building wasn't necessarily a bad thing. But agreeing to a cosy chat with the Vice Chancellor is a total cop out.

"The defiant occupation of the Great Hall by ‘Nottingham Students Against Fees and Cuts’ came to a dramatic close [Friday] afternoon. After two hours of animated debates among students and tense negotiations with University Security, the students departed the premises having secured a meeting with the Vice Chancellor and other senior staff scheduled for next Monday at 3:30pm." (NSAFC)…

News from the occupation in the Great Hall, Trent Buildng, University of Nottingham.

This is a direct response from Notts Students Against Fees and Cuts, currently occupying the Great Hall in the Trent Building, University of Nottingham, to two statements made to them by the Registrar.

I popped down to the University of Nottingham today to see how the student occupiers were getting on. I found a well organised group making use of the space for workshops, meetings and catching up with their coursework. In between these activities a few of the occupiers found time to chat about what it's all about.

Some pics of today's rally and the occupation of the Great Hall... just down the corridor from the Vice-Chancellor's office!

Hicham Yezza and Rizwaan Sabir were arrested under the Terrorism Act in May 2008 at the University of Nottingham. In the pair's first joint interview since those events, Riseup Radio spoke to them about the persecution they've faced since the arrests, the plight of other Muslims accused of terrorist offences, the government's anti-terror strategies, the growth of Islamophobia in the media and in t…