Police drop probe into Cambridge University student over tweets claiming 'all white people are racist'

Violence in Dalston: Riot police at the protest in Kingsland Road on Friday night
PA
Hatty Collier31 July 2017
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Police have dropped an investigation into the head of a Cambridge University equality group after a post on his Twitter claiming “all white people are racist.”

Jason Osamede Okundaye, who runs the Black and Minority Ethnic society, shared messages on social media on Friday night after a protest over the death of Rashan Charles in Dalston turned violent.

Tweets sent from the 20-year-old student’s Twitter account said “all white people are racist” and that they had “colonised Dalston.”

At the weekend, Cambridgeshire Police said it was investigating complaints that the tweets incited hatred and violence.

Jason Osamede Okundaye

But on Monday, the force told the Standard the probe had been dropped as there was “no realistic proposition of a conviction for any offence.”

A tweet sent from the student's account following the protests
Twitter

A spokeswoman said: “We have been working alongside Cambridge University and have also read Mr Okundaye’s account of how he says his Tweets were intended.

“We do not believe that there is a realistic proposition of a conviction for any offence. Any investigation is now in the hands of the university.”

Several wheelie bins and a mattress were set alight.
PA

A series of tweets posted on Mr Okundaye’s account said: “Watching these middle-class white people despair over black people protesting in their colonised Dalston is absolutely delicious.

“All white people are racist. White middle class, white working class, white men, white women, white gays, white children they can all geddit.”

He also posted a meme that appeared to address the protesters, which said: “You’re doing amazing sweetie.”

Mr Okundaye, a student at the prestigious university’s Pembroke College, made his account private after he received a backlash over his comments.

Senior Tory MP Bob Blackman said: "This is stirring up racial hatred unnecessarily - and completely without justification."

A Cambridge University spokesman told the Standard: “The College is looking into this matter and will respond appropriately.”

Masked activists clashed with police, hurled petrol bombs, smashed windows and set fire to a barricade of mattresses and bins during the protest in Kingsland Road, near to where Mr Charles died last week following a struggle with a police officer.

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