Thousands of people honored Jason Arday in London

18.08.2026 06:27 HotInfo

Thousands of people gathered on Trafalgar Square in London on Monday, August 17 for a memorial to the late former Cambridge University professor Jason Arday. His family stated that they are still coming to terms with the death of the 41-year-old academic, and condemned the public cruelty that, according to them, he faced before his death. svet.sme.sk ↗

Arday was found dead on Friday, August 14 in the Battersea area of south London. Police classified the case as an unexpected death with no suspicious circumstances. Arday was a sociologist and was known at Cambridge as the university's youngest Black professor. Shortly before his death, he resigned following accusations of plagiarism concerning parts of his doctoral thesis. The university was also investigating his academic qualifications and the circumstances of his appointment. El Pais ↗

Following his death, pressure increased for public clarification of the case. According to recent reports, a petition for a state investigation was signed by more than 92,000 people. The Chancellor of Cambridge University, Lord Chris Smith, also responded to the case, criticizing the manner in which public debate about Arday was conducted, and spoke of a racist witch hunt. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham previously described the professor's death as a tragedy on many levels and called for reflection. svet.sme.sk ↗

Memorials were also held in Cambridge, where hundreds of people attended the memorial event. Further developments will depend on any conclusions from the death investigation and on whether the government or university authorities proceed with a broader investigation into the circumstances that preceded Arday's death. teraz.sk ↗