Professor Jason Arday was the victim of a “public execution”, his friend and peer Lord Simon Woolley told a vigil which was attended by thousands of people.
During his speech, Lord Woolley revealed his friend had said during a meal just days before he died, “they’re hounding me to death”, adding that he “couldn’t see a way out”.
Organisers said more than 30,000 people gathered outside the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, central London, on Monday evening to pay tribute to the former Cambridge professor.
Speakers included MPs Diane Abbott and Dawn Butler, along with crossbench peer Lord Woolley and director of the Good Law Project Jo Maugham.
As he addressed the crowd, Lord Woolley described the press coverage of Prof Arday as a “public execution” and a “lynching”, to cheers of approval.
He added that he had dinner with Prof Arday last week, along with Ms Abbott and activist Misan Harriman, because they knew he was struggling.
Lord Woolley said: “We held him in our arms. We told him he was loved. He held Diane’s (Abbott) hands, and he said, ‘I love you, but’, he said, ‘they’re hounding me to death, and I cannot see a way out’.”
Prof Arday resigned from his post as professor of sociology of education at Cambridge last week after accusations of plagiarism were made against him.
The 41-year-old was found dead in Battersea, south London, on Friday.
Prof Arday, who became Cambridge’s youngest black professor in 2023, had faced intense scrutiny over the plagiarism allegations and questions about his achievements.
Lord Woolley said: “This wonderful man. Never stole a bag of crisps. He was exonerated from plagiarism.
“But the dogs of hell, the hounds of hell, sought to pursue any inaccuracy that they could say Jason is a bad man, Jason doesn’t deserve to be in Cambridge.
“For them, Jason doesn’t deserve to be alive. There needs to be some reckoning. There needs to be some justice.”
During her speech on Monday, Ms Abbott said Prof Arday was the subject of a “vicious” and “bitter” campaign, by people who did not believe a black man should be a Cambridge professor.
She said: “He must have felt that if he resigned the attacks on him would stop, but in fact they got even worse. From his resignation to his suicide last week, was just three weeks, but the newspapers printed 249 articles about him.
“This was a vicious campaign but it wasn’t just a campaign against the professor, it was a campaign against all of us and that’s why it is so important to come together and fight for justice for Professor Jason Arday.”
One attendee was holding a cardboard sign which read “249 articles in 22 days” which is believed to be a reference to analysis of media coverage conducted by NewsCord, an AI-based media analysis company.
More than 90,000 people, including Ms Abbott, Green Party leader Zack Polanski and presenter Jameela Jamil, have signed a Good Law Project petition seeking an inquiry into coverage of Prof Arday, which says his death followed “two weeks of relentless harassment”.
In addition, Sir Patrick Vernon, who played a leading role in the successful campaign to establish a national Windrush Day, set up a GoFundMe crowdfunding page, which has collected more than £170,000 in donations.
The crowd, dressed mostly in black, held flowers and signs which read “Rest in power Jason Arday”, and calls for “justice” rang out through the square.
A large sign reading “Racism in the mainstream media is responsible for Jason Arday’s death” moved slowly through the masses.
There were performances from singers Beverley Knight and Jermaine Jackman.
The vigil concluded with words from Prof Arday’s family, read by MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy: “This has been an incredibly painful time for our family, and we are still coming to terms with the tragic loss of our beloved Jason.
“What has become clear over the past 72 hours is the profound impact he had on people. We are grateful to all who have created light in this dark time through kindness, generosity and solidarity.
“Your presence here to remember him this evening means a lot to us, and while we cannot be there in person, please know that we stand with you in spirit.
“The public cruelty Jason was subjected to was too much for any man to bear. The outpouring of love, support and grief since his death mean so much to us.
“Although it is bittersweet, now kindness is needed in life, not just in death.
“We’ll never know what might have been different had he experienced more of it while he was still here.”
Flowers were laid at the foot of Nelson’s Column by the vigil attendees as they left the square.
