Free Speech For Me, Never For Thee...

Mike Roper, the headteacher of Allerton Grange high school in Leeds, was forced to apologise after he claimed in an assembly that some people saw the flag as a “symbol of antisemitism”.

Video of the speech was posted online, going viral and prompting a backlash and protests, with extra police having to be posted outside the school.

'The flag' being the Palestinian flag, of course. If he'd said the same about the Union flag the 'Guardian' would probably be giving him a guest writer's spot...

The assembly was intended, the school said, to address tensions within its multiracial student community caused by the situation in Israel.

But instead the speech brought accusations of “blatant Islamophobia” and staff being instructed to help students into and out of school safely following the furious response.

In other words, teachers had to plan for the usual screeching outside the school gates from the usual mob. 

Similar disputes have occurred in schools across the UK since the latest deadly violence in Israel and Gaza, with questions raised over why children expressing support for Palestine are being accused of antisemitism and in some cases subjected to disciplinary action.

So they are being disciplined for expressing an opinion? 

No. Don't be silly. That only happens to the staff!

During a protest at Clapton girls’ academy in east London, students sat down and chanted “free Palestine”, refusing to return to lessons.

See? They weren't disciplined for having an opinion at all, but for their actions in refusing to attend school and learn something other than the tribal hatreds they undoubtedly learn at home, or at the local mosque. 

The Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer said: “Imagine being a Palestinian kid at this guy’s school, being told your national flag is inherently hateful. Absolutely outrageous.”

We get told ours is that all the time, usually by morons like you. We just laugh and shrug it off. 

The author and Cambridge University academic Priyamvada Gopal also reacted with dismay to the video.

Oh, well, this'll be good! 

She said: “Young people can be taught about the evils of antisemitism, and they can learn about the Palestinian flag and its importance to a people’s struggle for self-determination. We are all capable of holding more than one thought in our head at the same time, and students should not be patronised by pretending otherwise.”

There's no evidence you can manage even one, love. 

Daniel Kebede, a senior vice-president of the National Education Union, said schools should be a safe space that allowed young people to explore difficult subjects.

It should. But it should be the same for the staff, too. And it's not, is it?