started · updated
Jason Arday: Thousands mourn former Cambridge professor in London
Thousands of people gathered in London's Trafalgar Square to hold a vigil for Jason Arday, a former University of Cambridge professor who was found dead at his home in south London at age 41. Arday, who was the youngest Black professor in Cambridge's history, had recently resigned from his position following intense media scrutiny and allegations regarding plagiarism in his doctoral thesis and the accuracy of his personal biography.
During the vigil, organized by Stand Up To Racism, speakers and mourners expressed grief and anger, with many blaming relentless and “racist” media coverage for his death. Supporters described the press scrutiny as a “public execution.” A petition calling for a public inquiry into the media's treatment of Arday has garnered nearly 112,000 signatures.
Arday's family released a statement describing the public cruelty he faced as “too much for any man to bear.” While the Metropolitan Police stated his death was not considered suspicious, friends and colleagues reported that Arday had been deeply distressed by the media bombardment, with one colleague noting that Arday expressed fear of leaving his home due to the scrutiny.
Entities
Diane Abbott · Jason Arday · Metropolitan Police · Simon Baron-Cohen · Stand Up To Racism · Trafalgar Square · University of Cambridge
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 6 SOURCES] Arday's family stated that the public cruelty he faced was too much for any man to bear. www.easterneye.biz · www.n-tv.de · ghanaguardian.com · www.aljazeera.com · www.excelsior.com.mx
- [● 4 SOURCES] Organizers estimated that approximately 30,000 people attended the vigil in Trafalgar Square. www.elmundo.es · www.n-tv.de · www.breakingnews.ie · www.aljazeera.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] More than 98,000 people signed a petition calling for a public inquiry into the treatment of Arday. www.ukpol.co.uk · sandrarose.com · www.lecourrierdelatlas.com
- [● 9 SOURCES] Jason Arday resigned from his position as Professor of Sociology of Education at Cambridge on August 5. www.easterneye.biz · blacknews.com · www.ukpol.co.uk · www.aljazeera.com · sandrarose.com · +4 more
- [● 4 SOURCES] In his resignation, Arday stated he had reached the limits of what a person should be expected to endure due to public scrutiny. www.easterneye.biz · www.aljazeera.com · blacknews.com · www.excelsior.com.mx
- [● 3 SOURCES] Simon Baron-Cohen reported that Arday expressed fear of leaving his home due to media bombardment. blacknews.com · zambianobserver.com · nycaribnews.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The police stated that Arday's death was not considered suspicious. www.easterneye.biz · nycaribnews.com · www.porandalucialibre.es
- [● 3 SOURCES] Liverpool John Moores University previously investigated plagiarism allegations and concluded they were likely citation errors rather than intentional plagiarism. faithroot.com · thehub.news · www.newenglishreview.org