Primary School Considers Online Learning After Arson Threat Post Pro-Palestine Protest

Protesters attend a rally to express solidarity with Palestine at Marble Arch in London, England, on May 15, 2021. Chris J. Ratcliffe/Getty Images

A school has said that it is considering closing and reverting to online learning due to security fears and an arson threat after it was embroiled in a Pro-Palestine protester row.

In December, Barclay Primary School in Leyton, London, was forced to close after a crowd claiming “Islamophobia” gathered outside, believing that it didn’t allow students to bring in Palestinian protest materials.

At the time, the school said the claims “are false and that no evidence to support any allegations of bullying or misconduct has been found through either an external or internal investigation.”

Police Presence is Required

Parents were told in January that because of the “unintended consequence of spreading factually incorrect material online and in-person”  the school is now facing threats.

A spokesman for Barclay Primary School, which is part of Lion Academy Trust, forwarded The Epoch Times a letter by email that it is considering a move to “revert to online learning” because of fears over security.

A letter sent out on Jan. 10 to parents said that the Trust believes “that as events have escalated to a level where a police presence is required, that all parents should be informed of what has occurred and what steps are being taken.”

It said that over the Christmas period, it had a “serious threat was received in writing.”

“This was immediately shared with police and was a key initial reason for the escalation in response. Yesterday, an anonymous caller made a series of racial slurs and a further threat to commit criminal damage (arson) against the school and to individual staff,” it said.

It added that “having people drive past the school and overtly filming staff doing their jobs or having aggressive and confrontational interactions with members of the public leads to a genuine sense of mistrust about the motives and actions of those individuals.”

“This has created unwanted anxiety and distress for staff,” the school said.

“If this situation does not revert to a normal mode of operation or should the Trust believe that despite these measures, the safety of children or staff cannot be assured, then we will—with limited notice—close the school and revert to online learning for as long as we believe it is necessary,” it added.

It said that this “is the option of last resort —but please be aware that should staff continue to be threatened—then we will have no option but to close the school.”

Criminal Investigations

An earlier letter sent on Jan. 8 said that “being confronted by abusive and threatening behaviours by those claiming to speak on behalf of ‘the community’ however, is simply unacceptable.”

“Staff have been subject to a severe degree of misconduct and harassment which now forms the basis of a series of criminal investigations that are currently taking place.”

“We continue to work with all relevant agencies to navigate a route back to business as usual whereby our pupils, families and staff are all able to focus on teaching and learning,” a Lion Academy Trust spokesman told The Epoch Times.

‘Intimidation’

The December footage saw dozens of demonstrators gathering outside the school gates carrying signs with “From the river to the sea.”

A man was also seen wearing a Palestinian flag as a cape and a Batman mask that completely hides his face, with a megaphone, urging the crowd to chant, “Education is a human right, education is under attack, what we do is stand up and fight back.”

At the time, a Department for Education spokesperson told The Epoch Times by email: “Intimidation of teachers and staff is unacceptable, and we are working with Barclay Primary School to support them. During periods of heightened community tensions, we support schools to take steps to ensure they remain calm and supportive learning environments, where all pupils feel safe.”

The Epoch Times contacted the Department for Education and the Met for comment.