Campaign Against Antisemitism

Campaign Against Antisemitism
Name	Campaign Against Antisemitism
Formation	2014
Type	Non-profit advocacy group
Headquarters	London, United Kingdom
Region served	United Kingdom
Leader title	Chief Executive
Leader name	Gideon Falter

Campaign Against Antisemitism is a United Kingdom-based advocacy organisation founded in 2014 focusing on monitoring, documenting, and contesting antisemitism across British public life. The organisation engages with legal mechanisms, parliamentary processes, media scrutiny, and community outreach to address incidents involving public figures, political parties, universities, and cultural institutions. It has featured in high-profile disputes involving Labour Party (UK), Metropolitan Police Service, and several universities, drawing responses from legal bodies, parliamentary committees, and media organisations.

History

The organisation was established in the aftermath of controversies surrounding antisemitism allegations linked to figures in Labour Party (UK), debates in the House of Commons, and coverage in outlets such as The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, and The Times (London). Early public interventions intersected with investigations by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, inquiries linked to the Crown Prosecution Service, and reporting by BBC News. Founding leadership included activists who had previously worked with groups connected to Board of Deputies of British Jews, Jewish Leadership Council, and community organisations in London. The organisation's emergence occurred against broader debates prompted by incidents involving personalities from University College London, Cambridge University, and Oxford University, as well as responses from municipal authorities including Greater London Authority. Its development paralleled action by civil liberties bodies such as Liberty (UK civil liberties organisation) and intersections with politicians including Boris Johnson, Jeremy Corbyn, and Keir Starmer in parliamentary and media contexts.

Mission and Activities

Campaign objectives emphasize monitoring incidents reported to the organisation, publicising casework to institutions such as Metropolitan Police Service, College of Policing, and regulatory bodies like the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Activities include producing legal complaints to the Crown Prosecution Service, submissions to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and dossier delivery to parliamentary committees including the Home Affairs Select Committee and the Culture, Media and Sport Committee. The organisation conducts data collection comparable to watchdog approaches used by Transparency International and reporting models used by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. It engages with broadcasters such as BBC Radio 4, Sky News, and ITV and newspapers including Financial Times and The Economist to publicise findings, and collaborates with lawyers and firms previously involved in cases before the High Court of Justice and Court of Appeal (England and Wales).

Legal Actions and Investigations

The organisation has initiated legal proceedings and complaints related to incidents at institutions like Goldsmiths, University of London, Queen Mary University of London, and events involving groups such as Stop the War Coalition and Palestine Solidarity Campaign. It has submitted evidence used in investigations by the Equality and Human Rights Commission into Labour Party (UK) conduct and engaged with law enforcement investigations handled by the Metropolitan Police Service and regional forces including Greater Manchester Police. Legal actions have involved venues and organisers linked to Arts Council England, disputes addressed in hearings before magistrates and references to criminal statutes interpreted by the Crown Prosecution Service. The organisation has also used civil litigation strategies bringing claims in the High Court of Justice and issuing legal letters invoking duties overseen by regulators such as the Charity Commission for England and Wales.

Campaigns and Public Engagement

Public campaigns have targeted political figures, media outlets, and cultural events involving personalities like commentators appearing on Channel 4, contributors to The Spectator, and speakers booked by student unions at London School of Economics and University of Manchester. Public engagement tactics include petitions hosted on platforms akin to those used by Change.org, press conferences modelled after briefings by Amnesty International, and coordinated stances during parliamentary debates referencing recommendations made by the All-Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism. The organisation has organised demonstrations proximate to sites such as Houses of Parliament and staged interventions at festival venues like The Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Educational outreach has included briefings to campus administrations at King's College London and participation in panels alongside representatives from Community Security Trust and international interlocutors from groups like Anti-Defamation League.

Criticism and Controversies

The organisation has faced criticism from commentators in outlets such as The Independent, academic voices at SOAS University of London, and activists associated with Student Union Advocacy who argue about boundaries between free expression and complaint-making. Critics have included individuals linked to Momentum (organisation) and publications like Novara Media, alleging selective targeting or political bias in case selection involving figures connected to Labour Party (UK), Conservative Party (UK), and activists within Stop the War Coalition. Legal challenges and media coverage prompted responses from regulators like the Information Commissioner's Office and parliamentary scrutiny by MPs including members of the Home Affairs Select Committee. The organisation has also contended with internal disputes over strategy comparable to debates within organisations such as Stonewall (charity) and Human Rights Watch.

Impact and Reception

The organisation's work has led to public inquiries, disciplinary processes in political institutions like Labour Party (UK), and policy discussions in the Home Office and among civil servants at Cabinet Office. Its reports have been cited in parliamentary debates in the House of Commons and influenced media coverage across outlets including The Times (London), The Daily Mail, and Financial Times. Supporters include representatives from communal bodies such as Board of Deputies of British Jews and legal advocates who have used its dossiers in complaints before the Crown Prosecution Service. Opponents argue its interventions have had chilling effects on campus discourse at University of Birmingham and elsewhere. The organisation remains a prominent actor in UK public life, engaging with legal institutions, parliamentary bodies, media organisations, and community groups on matters involving allegations of antisemitism.

Category:Non-profit organisations based in the United Kingdom