Bristol University to remove national anthem from graduation ceremonies as students claim it is ‘old fashioned’ and ‘offensive to some’

The University of Bristol has axed the anthem from its graduation ceremonies, with some students claiming it is ‘old fashioned’ and ‘offensive to some’.

The anthem has not been played since last year’s ceremony, with the university saying it regularly updates its graduation ceremonies.

God Save The King will now only be played when a member of the Royal Family is present.

Some students at the 147-year-old university have suggested the anthem was scrapped because it is “irrelevant,” “old-fashioned” or could even be “offensive to some.”

It comes just weeks after the university vowed to remove the emblem of slave trader Edward Colston from its logo after his statue was toppled during a Black Lives Matter protest in the city in June 2020.

Layla Daynes, 21, shared The sun: ‘The monarchy isn’t really relevant to my generation, so it wouldn’t be missed.’

Some students at the 147-year-old university (pictured) have suggested the anthem has been scrapped because it is ‘irrelevant’, ‘old-fashioned’ or could even be ‘offensive to some’.

Toby Young, chief executive of the Free Speech Union, asked: ‘Why are Britain’s most prestigious universities openly disrespecting the country’s history and heritage?’

MailOnline has contacted the University of Bristol for further comment.

It comes after former Labor councilor and emeritus professor Harriet Bradley, who used to work at the university, called for “someone to blow up the venue” where the Jewish Labor Movement hosts its annual conference.

The 78-year-old has now deleted the tweet.

The offensive post has sparked an angry response from the Jewish community, with the sociology professor, who studies “inequalities of class, gender, ethnicity,” reported to police and her former employer.

Avon and Somerset Police are reportedly investigating the matter as an ‘incident of malicious communications’.

Daniel Sugarman, director of public affairs for the Council of Deputies of British Jews, responded: “I checked to see if this tweet was genuine. It is.

‘I am currently in the building where Jewish Labor held their conference last year, so you can imagine this is an additional concern for me. An Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Bristol.’

In a now-deleted tweet, Harriet Bradley, 78, who worked at the University of Bristol, called for “someone to blow up the venue” where the Jewish Labor Movement hosts its annual conference

Black Lives Matter protesters gathered to pull the bronze statue of 17th-century slave trader Edward Colston from its pedestal before it fell first into the breakwater

At the end of November, the university announced it would further distance itself from slave trader Edward Colston following a public consultation on whether seven buildings named after families – including Wills and Frys – with links to slavery should be renamed.

Professor Evelyn Welch, vice-chancellor and president of the university, announced the decision to remove Colston’s emblem in an open letter, in which she also apologized to those who had experienced racism at the institution.

The personal emblem of the 17th century merchant – a dolphin – was included in the design of the university’s modern logo in 2003, based on the coat of arms awarded in 1909 upon the founding of the institution.

A university spokesperson said the 4,000 students, staff and members of local communities who responded to the survey found it “crucial to acknowledge and explain the past” and the historical significance of such figures.