More than 30,000 people gathered in central London for a vigil to honour Jason Arday following his death. The former Cambridge professor, 41, was found dead at an address in Battersea, south London, on Friday afternoon.
The vigil, organised by Stand Up To Racism, was held on the steps of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square at 6pm on Monday. Placards bearing the words “rest in power Jason Arday” were held aloft, while a large mural of the professor adorned the front of the stage as his family addressed the crowd.
Speakers and calls for inquiry
Speakers included MPs Diane Abbott and Dawn Butler, along with crossbench peer Lord Woolley and director of the Good Law Project Jo Maugham. Calls are growing for an investigation into media reporting of Professor Arday’s case, with an open letter to Andy Burnham demanding a public inquiry “to ensure we never see a tragic death like Dr Arday’s again” gathering more than 85,000 names.
As he addressed the crowd, Lord Woolley described the press coverage of Prof Arday as a “public execution” and a “lynching”, to cheers of approval. He added that he had dinner with Prof Arday last week, along with Ms Abbott and activist Misan Harriman, because they knew he was struggling.
Lord Woolley said: “We held him in our arms. We told him he was loved. He held Diane’s (Abbott) hands, and he said, ‘I love you, but’, he said, ‘they’re hounding me to death, and I cannot see a way out’.”
Background and allegations
The prime minister described Professor Arday’s death as a “tragedy on so many levels” and said it should be a “moment for reflection”, as he said his thoughts were with Professor Arday’s friends and family. Professor Arday told a friend he “couldn’t go on” hours before he died, after being subjected to intense scrutiny over his academic career.
The professor of sociology of education, who became Cambridge’s youngest black professor in 2023, quit his post following a series of media reports alleging he had plagiarised his PhD thesis, completed at Liverpool John Moores University, and other research. Further questions were raised in the press about other claims he had made, including that he ran 600 miles in six days and had raised £5.5 million for charity.
An investigation at Liverpool John Moores University cleared Professor Arday of wrongdoing. Professor Arday had denied the claims and his family have since said the “campaign of misinformation” was too much for him.
Vigil speeches and tributes
During her speech on Monday, Ms Abbott said Prof Arday was the subject of a “vicious” and “bitter” campaign, by people who did not believe a black man should be a Cambridge professor. She said: “He must have felt that if he resigned the attacks on him would stop, but in fact they got even worse. From his resignation to his suicide last week, was just three weeks, but the newspapers printed 249 articles about him.
“This was a vicious campaign but it wasn’t just a campaign against the professor, it was a campaign against all of us and that’s why it is so important to come together and fight for justice for Professor Jason Arday.”
One attendee was holding a cardboard sign which read “249 articles in 22 days” which is believed to be a reference to analysis of media coverage conducted by NewsCord, an AI-based media analysis company. More than 90,000 people, including Ms Abbott, Green Party leader Zack Polanski and presenter Jameela Jamil, have signed a Good Law Project petition seeking an inquiry into coverage of Prof Arday, which says his death followed “two weeks of relentless harassment”.
The vigil concluded with words from Prof Arday’s family, read by MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy: “This has been an incredibly painful time for our family, and we are still coming to terms with the tragic loss of our beloved Jason.
“What has become clear over the past 72 hours is the profound impact he had on people. We are grateful to all who have created light in this dark time through kindness, generosity and solidarity.
“Your presence here to remember him this evening means a lot to us, and while we cannot be there in person, please know that we stand with you in spirit.
“The public cruelty Jason was subjected to was too much for any man to bear. The outpouring of love, support and grief since his death mean so much to us.
“Although it is bittersweet, now kindness is needed in life, not just in death.
“We’ll never know what might have been different had he experienced more of it while he was still here.”
Flowers were laid at the foot of Nelson’s Column by the vigil attendees as they left the square. On Saturday afternoon, Windrush campaigner Sir Patrick Vernon launched a GoFundMe appeal to support Professor Arday’s family. It has raised more than £3,000 in donations.
Professor Arday’s memoir, Great And Unfortunate Things, had been due to be published in the UK on August 27. Meanwhile, more than 200 people attended a vigil in Cambridge on Sunday afternoon, organised by Mr Arday’s postdoctoral students.
