Thousands mourn Jason Arday in London, blaming ‘racist’ press for his death

“Myself and many other people felt quite compelled to be here to show respect to Professor Arday and his family,” said Paul Vincent, a social worker. “But also to come together in a sense of solidarity, to say that we are deeply disturbed. Something dark has happened that we’re not happy with.”

He added that the case had become fodder for ideological point-scoring.

“Sadly, the issues attached to the tragedy are juicy issues, for lack of a better term, for the right and the far right. It ticks all of their boxes.”

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‘Racist feeding frenzy’

The controversy centred on allegations that Arday had plagiarised parts of his 2015 doctoral thesis and embellished details of his personal biography. Arday resigned from his post at Cambridge on August 5, saying the “relentless accusations” had taken a “profound toll” on him and his family.

Liverpool John Moores University, which awarded his doctorate, said it had cleared him of plagiarism, but Cambridge – which initially dismissed the allegations as a “vile campaign” to undermine Arday’s credibility – later opened a review of his appointment amid the continuing controversy.

He was found dead two weeks later, with Metropolitan Police saying the death was being treated as “unexpected” but that it was “not believed to be suspicious”. The cause has not been made public.

Cambridge Chancellor Chris Smith, Lord Smith of Finsbury, condemned what he called a “racist feeding frenzy” in a statement issued after Arday’s death.

The vigil drew several prominent Black British public figures, including politicians Diane Abbott and Dawn Butler, filmmaker Misan Harriman, and singer Beverley Knight.

Abbott, the first Black woman elected to the UK Parliament, told the crowd she had seen Arday a week before his death. “He was always a lovely, kind, and brilliant man”, she said, “but the vicious campaign against him was beginning to get to him”.

She said she believed that “the vicious media campaign drove him to his death”.

Butler apologised on behalf of those who had failed to protect Arday.

“We let him down, and I’m sorry to his family; we couldn’t protect him,” she said. “This isn’t a Black versus white battle; it’s a battle between good and evil, between racists and antiracists.”

Knight, the singer, described watching the coverage unfold. “We saw it unfurling in front of our eyes – the destruction of a brilliant man, for sport, ignited by jealousy and fuelled by hatred,” she said, looking out over the crowd. “When I look around now, I see an ocean of unity, togetherness, and solidarity.”

Several weeks before Arday’s death, Simon Baron-Cohen, director of Cambridge’s Autism Research Centre, had publicly warned that one in four autistic people have planned or attempted suicide, and spoke of the “relentless bullying of a vulnerable autistic man,” raising concerns about his welfare.

Arday’s family did not attend the vigil.

A statement from them was read by Bell Ribeiro-Addy, the family’s member of Parliament.

“The past days have been an incredibly painful time,” the family said, thanking those who had shown “kindness, generosity, and solidarity”.

They described Arday as “a selfless and gentle soul who tirelessly uplifted others through his words and actions”, adding that “the public cruelty Jason was subjected to was too much for any man to bear”.

The statement closed with words the family said were Arday’s own: “Every human life has a purpose. Imagine what might happen if we were all united in the just cause of valuing all human beings equally. Then maybe, just maybe, all kinds of great things might be possible.”

If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, these organisations may be able to help.