De Montfort University students demand ‘anti-Semitic’ name should be changed

By Adam Rear

Student campaigners at De Montfort University want the name of the university to be changed due to anti-Semitic behaviour from Simon De Montfort, the Earl of Leicester in the thirteenth century.

Simon De Montfort opposed Henry III and called a Parliament to meet in 1265 but was also known for being a strict Christian who expelled Jews from Leicester, encouraging murder and attacks on the Jewish community.

“This is not a name which is reflective of our core values and beliefs,” said Aisha Ishmail, the student opportunities and engagement executive on the university’s Students’ Union (DSU), in a statement launching a campaign calling for the name change.

The DSU is calling for the name of the university to be changed by 2023.

In a statement to the Leicester Mercury, the university responded: “DMU absolutely stands against racism in all its forms, including anti-Semitism.

“As an educational and research institution, we welcome honest and critical debate and accept that this will involve difficult discussions around historical figures such as Simon De Montfort.”