Shocking anti-Semitic messages from a University of Manchester Physics group chat have tonight been exposed, where one student twice commented that “6 million Jews ain’t enough” and another called for an invasion of Poland.
The messages were sent to a “1st Year Physics” Facebook group chat, broadcasting them to over 200 fellow students, originally reported the Mancunion.
The abhorrent conversation was initiated when a student asked the group if they would rather become an engineer or a Neo-Nazi.
Another student replied “Pfft, why you asking that? Tis an easy question. Now brb while I make some lebensraum.”
Lebensraum was an ideological principle of Nazism, referring to a territorial expansion into Eastern European countries and the removal or genocide of their populations.
When another student replied “I would rather die tbh,” the student that instigated the conversation told him “Don’t be a Jew.”
Another first year Physics student then suggested an invasion of Greece, Russia, Spain, Poland, and India.
A student then made some of the most abhorrent comments, twice repeating that “6 million Jews ain’t enough,” referring to the approximately 6 million Jewish victims of the Holocaust.
Another student attempted to intervene at this point, though those involved continued, telling the student that asked “could you stop with the nazism maybe now?” to “Calm the fuck down.”
The student that intervened went on to tell those “mocking others for calling you out on your literal fucking naziism, maybe you should sit down and think for a change.”
Astonishingly, it seems several first year Physics students thought it acceptable to make such comments in a conversation with over 200 fellow students.
Just last week, it was reported that several University of Exeter studentshad been expelled and suspended following a major investigation into racist comments and bullying within a law society group chat.
Alongside academic sanctions, multiple students lost jobs and placements following the scandal.
And just over two weeks ago, the University of Manchester removed the ratings section from their Facebook page, following a flood of negative reviews that dropped the University’s rating to the second lowest of any Russell Group University. Students were also blocked from commenting on any of the University’s social media posts.
Following the anti-Semitism incident at UoM, an email condemning the messages was sent to all UoM Physics students this afternoon. Similar comments were made when a University spokesperson gave the Mancunion this statement:
“The University is a welcoming environment and we will not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment. Allegations of this nature are thoroughly investigated and if appropriate, disciplinary action will be taken.”
UoM’s Jewish Society has condemned the messages as “shameless” and “blatantly unacceptable.” The society told The Mancunion: “The Jewish Society is deeply concerned by this incidence of overt and shameless anti-Semitism in a public forum.
“At a time when attacks against Jewish students are on a nationwide uptick, it is shocking that students who have attempted to call out anti-Semitism have faced ridicule. It is blatantly unacceptable for fellow students to tell someone to ‘calm the f**k down’ after being told ‘6 million Jews ain’t enough’.
“We expect a robust and transparent investigation into this incident from the relevant faculty, who we call on to denounce this incident in the strongest possible terms. It is incumbent of all members of the student body to tackle anti-Semitism wherever it arises”.
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