Cambridge University students have voted against celebrating Remembrance Day, amid fears that it is 'glorifying' conflict and was 'imperialist propaganda', the Telegraph reports.
The commemoration of the centenary of the end of WWI had been proposed by Cambridge University Conservative Assocation at a students' union council meeting, where a motion said that the council should 'encourage the commemoration of British war veterans on Remembrance Day across the University of Cambridge'.
Asking the council to urge the university, its colleges and faculties to be 'more proactive in promoting the cause of Remembrance', the motion also said that the union should 'ensure that Remembrance Day becomes a well-established and well-marked event across the university' - through anything from asking for a minute's silence on Remembrance Sunday to sending email reminders to students about buying poppies.
But this was replaced by an alternative version that removed the words 'British war veterans' and 'Remembrance Day', which was put forward by Cambridge Defend Education activist Stella Swain.
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It also removed the notion that the 'general valour, courage and heroism of serving and formerly serving members of the British armed forces is deserving of our sympathy'.
Swain told student newspaper Varsity: "For many people, war is not something that can be consigned to the past, and the original motion's focus on remembrance as 'valorising' war instead of working to end its devastating impact is deeply disturbing."
Cambridgeshire Mayor James Palmer said that the decision has brought 'great shame' to Cambridge, and that it also shows 'disdain' for the Armed Forces in such a landmark year.
He told the Telegraph: "It is something I find difficult to comprehend - that students can't be grateful and respectful of previous generations and their sacrifices.
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"It is easy to judge from a distance when you have the luxury of safe and comfortable democracy. We have an enormous debt to our Armed Forces in this country."
Timur Coskun, chairman of CUCA, said: "We think this is ridiculous. All we wanted to do was raise money for veterans.
"It's such a shame that you don't see many students wearing poppies around Remembrance Day.
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"For them [CUSU] to vote our motion down is downright disgusting."
He added: "This is the 100th year since the end of the First World War and for CUSU not to recognise that is just not right. It's disrespectful."
A student union spokesman said: "Discussions were not about erasing the past but broadening the focus of remembrance to include those who suffered and died wherever they were in the world."
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