A Cambridge University college has threatened students with eviction if they do not remove flags and political posters from their windows.
Jesus College emailed students earlier this week asking them to remove all posters, flags or banners displayed inside or outside college accommodation. This includes rainbow “Pride” flags left hanging outside college properties in the wake of LGBT+ History Month in March.
College dons warned students their accommodation licence could be terminated if they did not obey the rules.
“As you are aware, it is a breach of the terms of your licence agreement to display any poster, flag, or banner internally or externally from the property,” the email said.
“I must ask you to please remove this item by Thursday, 22 April. The college will take further action if you fail to put right the breach, which could ultimately result in the licence agreement being terminated.”
Aurelio Petrucci, a former president of the Jesus College Students’ Union, criticised the move and questioned its legality.
Jesus College emailed students earlier this week asking them to remove all posters, flags or banners displayed inside or outside college accommodation
Credit: REUTERS
He urged the college to apologise, saying: “Forcing students to remove posters which criticise the college on pain of eviction is truly awful.
“By threatening to evict students for exercising their basic right to self-expression, all this will do is add to the stress and anxiety students are already feeling about the pandemic and their exams,” he added.
“Being able to criticise institutions, express one’s identity and political beliefs are the core features of British academia.
“[This is] now being trampled by coercion and threats of homelessness/eviction by a Cambridge college.
“The college needs to reconsider this immediately, and apologise.
“I can only hope that they start to listen to the student union and stop trying to curtail our right to free speech and free expression of our identities.”
Founded in 1496, Jesus College is one of Cambridge’s wealthiest colleges. Its alumni include Thomas Cranmer, the first Protestant Archbishop of Canterbury and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the poet.
Jesus College said they have already contacted students about this issue twice during last month and are contacting “the few students who have not yet followed our request….to remind them of their license agreement terms”. A spokesman for the college said the rules on displaying any flags, banners or posters are “a long-standing clause in our license agreement”.
He added: “We encourage all community members to express themselves and their views, as long as it doesn’t break their license agreement or the law. We have asked that everyone living in college accommodation abides by the agreement they signed.
“We have informed students that we will run an in-depth consultation this term with students, fellows and staff about the most inventive and creative ways to enable this in college for the benefit of the whole community.”
