LONDON: Tens of thousands of mourners dressed in black gathered at London’s Trafalgar Square, carrying flowers to pay tribute to Jason Arday, a former Cambridge University professor who died following weeks of intense media scrutiny over plagiarism allegations.
The 41-year-old academic, who held the distinction of being the youngest Black professor in the history of Cambridge University, was found dead at his residence in south London on Friday. Many attending Monday’s vigil attributed his death to relentless and “racist” coverage by the mainstream media. Arday, who was diagnosed with autism as a child, had firmly denied the allegations leveled against him.
Mourners at the gathering carried placards reading, “Rest in power Professor Jason Arday”, “Stop racist media now”, and “Racism within mainstream media is responsible for Jason Arday’s death”.
Describing the vigil, one attendee noted that the event was “a gathering of grief and of grievance”. “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.
Vincent further remarked that the tragic case was being exploited for political gain.
“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,” he stated.
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