University of Bristol Gender Lecture Disrupted Amid Protests, Sparks Free Speech Debate
Prof Alice Sullivan, an academic from University College London invited to speak on sex and gender at the University of Bristol, has alleged that her lecture was disrupted and that the university failed to protect her freedom of expression. The event, which took place in October after a lengthy delay, was marked by protesters climbing walls, banging on windows with megaphones, and triggering fire alarms.
Sullivan has written to both the University of Bristol and the Office for Students to raise complaints. She claims that attendees felt intimidated and that planning and venue choices contributed to creating a restricted environment. The university had a 15-month planning window and could have selected a safer venue to allow the talk to proceed with fewer restrictions.
Furthermore, Sullivan says she was prevented from staying to meet attendees after the lecture and that some potential attendees chose not to come due to intimidation. She is prepared to take legal action, emphasizing that free speech rights apply not only to visiting speakers but also to the university community as a whole.
A spokesperson for Bristol University responded by stating that the seminar went ahead safely, acknowledging that protesters caused unacceptable disruption. They confirmed that measures were in place to protect the speaker and attendees and denied any failure to protect freedom of speech. The Office for Students declined to comment on the matter.
Sullivan has previously claimed that UK universities fail to protect gender-critical academics. In March 2025, she authored a review addressing barriers to research on sex and gender, advocating for data on biological sex and gender identity to be recorded as distinct categories. According to reports by The Times, undergraduate attendance at the event was prohibited and it was held at the Clifton campus, a location described as highly vulnerable to disruption.
