[Milton Keynes, February 2026] — Open University students have begun staging coordinated digital protests during online recruitment events, challenging the university’s partnerships with arms companies including BAE Systems.
As the UK’s largest distance-learning university, the Open University has a student body spread across the UK and internationally. Many students choose online study due to disabilities, health conditions, or caring responsibilities, making traditional forms of on-campus activism less accessible.
In response, students have turned to online spaces to organise and protest. They say their actions form part of a wider student movement calling on universities to cut ties with arms companies.
Nancy, a disabled student at the OU involved in a recent protest against BAE Systems, said:
“As a disabled student, my ability to take part in activism has often been limited by my health. Being involved in the BAE Systems event was the first time I could meaningfully engage in activism from my own bed. The OU Friends of Palestine group has given me the opportunity to be part of a movement I care deeply about.”
On 14–15 February, BAE Systems hosted its annual online “Capture the Flag” event
a two-day cybersecurity-focused careers programme. More than 20 students affiliated with OU Friends of Palestine registered to take part, with the intention of challenging the presence of BAE Systems and other arms companies at the university. [SEE ACTION VIDEO]
Students involved said their actions are motivated by longstanding criticism of BAE Systems from human rights organisations. These groups have raised concerns about the company’s role in supplying weapons to governments accused of human rights abuses, including in conflicts where civilians and infrastructure have been harmed.
Colette, a veteran who was removed from the event after speaking up, later described their experience in an online blog post. They said:
“I should know enough about this – I experienced PTSD symptoms because of my role in the illegal Iraq war. It is morally incomprehensible that the Open University is facilitating those profiteering from conflict, war, and genocide.”
Student activists said they used the platform provided during the event to share messages with approximately 170 participants. They also used the chat function during live presentations to raise objections, sharing sources to support their claims and encouraging others to circulate their message.
Participants allege that moderators removed those who raised pro-Palestinian or anti-war views, while allowing participants who expressed support for Israel or who made offensive remarks (including one joke about ethnic cleansing using the analogy of “bath bombs”) to remain. Those removed said this amounted to a double standard and selective moderation by admins employed by BAE Systems, and that this likely constitutes a breach of free speech and equality obligations held by the university. Some students have since filed a formal complaint with the university and are calling on members of the public to support them by writing to the institution using an email template they have prepared and published online.
On 18 February, students also protested an Open University careers event hosted by Cisco.
For this intervention, students sought help from current and former Cisco employees who are affiliated with the Bridge to Humanity campaign. With their expertise, they helped students prepare reasonable and informed questions to ask during the event. [SEE ACTION POST]
The Open University has an established partnership with Cisco and is described as one of the world’s largest Cisco Networking Academy support centres. Students involved in the protest said their actions were motivated by concerns over Cisco’s activities. They allege that the company provides infrastructure linked to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory and maintains operations in areas considered illegal under international law.
Participants said that, during the event, organisers restricted critical discussion. According to those involved, the chat and Q&A functions were disabled, and attendees were removed after raising challenging questions. Organisers also did not proceed with a planned live Q&A session.
Former Cisco employees supporting the protest said these actions reflected how similar concerns had been handled internally. They pointed to an open letter signed by more than 1,700 employees calling on the company to clarify and reconsider some of its contracts related to Israel.
A former Cisco employee, who wishes to stay anonymous, said:
“Seeing Cisco silence Open University students for asking simple and reasonable questions came as no surprise to us Cisco employees. We experienced the same internally when over 1700 of us signed an open letter to our leadership asking for transparency”
About Open University Friends of Palestine
Open University Friends of Palestine is a student-led group made up of OU students and alumni. The group campaigns on issues related to Palestine and the arms industry and advocates for changes to the university’s partnerships and investment policies. They are affiliated with the student union (OUSU) and work with other student and staff groups including OU PSG (who recently opposed commitments made by the OU to UK Lawyers for Israel), and the University and College Union branch (OU UCU). Together they launched a broader joint divestment campaign that has gathered over 1,900 signatures in support of divestment from companies linked with Israel and the arms trade.
Concerned with the universities approach to the issue of free speech surrounding this topic, students from OU Friends of Palestine are now appealing to the public to write to the VCE in defence of their actions using the form they have created on their website – a key piece of infrastructure for their digital strategy.
Media contact
Open University Friends of Palestine
Email: ou.palfriends@protonmail.com
Website: https://openuni-palfriends.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/openuni_palfriends/
