‘All student journalists are dickheads,’ blasts Union President

Queen Mary Student’s Union President Babs Williams shouted threatening abuse at students during a University College London Union Senate meeting, brandishing all student journalists “dickheads.”

At the Senate meeting on 11^th October, Williams shouted at Jen Izaakson, London Student editor, and threatened to continue the confrontation “outside of working hours.”

Williams had sent an email threatening to sue “University of London Union, the section editor, the editor, the journalist writing the piece and the company that manages the print run” if London Student quoted him as “refusing to comment” on a issue involving racist posters that had appeared around Queen Mary’s campus.

Williams had not provided a comment, had asked for further information and admitted at the Senate meeting that the email from London Student was the first he had heard of the posters.

This led Williams to storm into the Senate, calling one student a “fucking moron,” and adding: “I fucking hate all student journalists, you’re all dickheads.”

This incident came just a day after Williams was warned to stop shouting at a female student speaking at the Queen Mary Student Union Council meeting on the 10^th October. Ellen Tansey, a second year Queen Mary student was addressing the council to argue for a No Platform for Fascists motion. Williams argued against the motion, but repeatedly shouted, “You’re a liar” while she was putting her case forward.

The Chair had to warn Williams that he would have to leave if he could not control his behavior.

“It was my first time speaking at Council and I was really nervous,” said Tansey. “I felt belittled and undermined.

“Babs had already told me he’d “tear my motion apart,” but I didn’t expect him to start shouting that I was a liar,” continued Tansey.

“His shouting continued until the Chair threatened him with being banned from the meeting. It’s unacceptable that my Union President finds this to be an appropriate way to engage in student democracy. I never want to be on the receiving end of such behavior again.”

Williams is yet to apologise for his behaviour.