WOKE students have been slammed by the Defence Secretary for banning the Army from their university’s annual freshers’ fair.
Bristol’s student union said it was aiming to “disarm” the university and had stopped the Officers’ Training Corps from taking part in the introduction day.
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Bristol’s student union have banned the Army from attending their annual Freshers fair Credit: Alamy 2
UK defence sec Grant Shapps branded the university's decision 'absurd' Credit: Getty
Grant Shapps branded the move “absurd” — claiming it was depriving youngsters of the opportunity to explore a career in the Armed Forces
The union justified the bar at yesterday’s event, which saw around 13,000 students attending, by saying the OTC was direct competition for “affiliated student groups”.
A spokesman said it considers requests from unaffiliated groups on the 90 available commercial stalls on a “case by case basis”.
It said the experience offered by the OTC was “very similar to, and therefore in direct competition with, our affiliated student groups”.
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Abby Blackwell, 21, a Bristol OTC member, said: “I’m so disappointed we’ve been banned from freshers’ fair.
“The Students’ Union claims to be a place of open mindedness and inclusivity but it’s not. They’re imposing their anti-military views on their students.”
Mr Shapps said the axe on the OTC was “indefensible”.
He said: “Trying to deprive students of these opportunities is wrong and anyone considering doing so should reconsider immediately.”
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The union, which in February passed a motion to lobby the university to end ties with arms trade firms, did not address claims that it is “anti-military”.
A spokesman for Bristol University said: “We respect our students’ right to raise concerns about issues they feel strongly about and we will continue to listen to and engage with their views.”
While OTCs are part of the British Army Reserves, they are non-deployable meaning members can’t be sent to war.
There are 21 university OTCs in Britain.