Wales' Cardiff University, has been accused of surveilling students and staff who support Palestine, allegedly sharing sensitive information with South Wales Police.
The student group Caerdydd Students 4 Palestine obtained around 144 pages of email correspondence between university officials and police representatives.
While some of the disclosed material appears innocuous, other exchanges raise serious concerns about the nature of the university’s interactions with law enforcement.
The documents contained discussions regarding an incident outside Cardiff Bay police station where students and a staff member were arrested.
In a particular exchange from April 2024, a police employee sought information about the number of Iranian students at Cardiff University.
The email read: "Linked with international tensions, can you see if you and your fine colleagues can establish with our partners how many Iranian students may be across Cardiff, so we can have some idea of the numbers we may need to support / be vulnerable as conflict escalates."
The university responded by disclosing that 84 Iranian students were enrolled.
Further correspondence from June revealed that police were closely monitoring an upcoming Palestine Solidarity Campaign event, suggesting the likelihood of significant protests and potential unrest.
South Wales Police told the university: "There is likely to be a fairly substantial turnout based on other recent demonstrations across the HE sector. The size of the protest combined with the potentially inflammatory and emotional nature of the cause for pro-Palestine supporters means disruption is possible."
In May, discussions regarding a protest speaker, known for her pro-Palestine stance, led to Cardiff University security being alerted about the event.
In advance of the event, a police employee wrote to the university saying: "Good to meet you this morning to discuss this possible event. As agreed, I have passed on the social media sources you highlighted to our intelligence team to see what else they can pick up."
During the graduation ceremony, another email was sent by a Cardiff University official to the police reporting an incident involving a student bearing a Palestinian flag while crossing the stage.
In another instance, a Cardiff University official wrote to South Wales Police stating: "Googled him. Looks like a researcher on globalisation and empire building. We had extra staff working from 3pm for the April event and they are aware of this one too, so there shouldn’t be issues with this one."
Cardiff University rejects allegations
Cardiff University has rejected the spying allegations, denying that they had placed students or staff under surveillance.
A spokesperson told °®Âþµº: "We recognise that freedom of speech within the law is an important right and a cornerstone of a democratic society...we reject entirely the suggestion that we have ‘spied’ or have put our staff or students ‘under surveillance'" they said.
"We enjoy a good working relationship with South Wales Police’s university liaison team. Where appropriate, this involves the exchange of relevant information. This is not unique to Cardiff University. It helps ensure the safety of all our university community, which remains our ultimate priority" they continued.
Responding to the allegations, Cardiff University insisted that it supports "the right for people to make their voices heard" through legal protest, but policing decisions "requires consideration of complex and often competing rights and issues".
The spokesperson added that they strive to strike a balance in their policing approach and taking measures to ensure that the rights of all parties are respected, reasserting they will however act against anyone who breaks the law, whether this is at the time of the offence or retrospectively.
They also said South Wales Police was open to dialogue and would be happy to address any concerns about the policing of protest activity with advocacy groups.
'Unjustified' information sharing
However, the allegations have raised deep concerns among many, including Dr. Andy Buerki, a member of Cardiff University's Senate and the University and College Union.
He described the relationship between the university’s security department and South Wales Police as "cosy" and claimed the information shared had no legal relevance.
Dr. Buerki branded the university's actions as a form of surveillance, claiming that it creates a "chilling effect" on free expression and peaceful protest.
Asked about the contents, he told Welsh newspaper Nation.Cymru: "There are quite a lot of redactions, so there is material that we can’t see. Because of that, there is no smoking gun in the material that would show that something illegal has taken place or that rules of the university have been broken in passing information to the police".
"There are lots of pictures of obviously innocent placards and of speakers at demonstrations," he added.
"I cannot see the justification for that. The university has in effect been keeping students and staff who have participated in the protests under surveillance. It amounts to spying on individuals who have done nothing wrong and have committed no offence. To me, this is quite awful and has a chilling effect."