Jump to contentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleBryony GoochTuesday 18 August 2026 03:15 BSTThousands pay tribute to Professor Jason Arday during Trafalgar Square vigilMore than 30,000 people gathered at a vigil in Trafalgar Square to honour former Cambridge academic Professor Jason Arday following his tragic death.Professor Arday, who became Cambridge's youngest Black professor in 2023, died after resigning amidst intense media scrutiny and nearly 250 newspaper articles regarding a plagiarism row.In a statement read at the vigil, his family condemned the “public cruelty” he was subjected to and called for greater kindness, respect and grace.Prominent figures, including MP Diane Abbott and Lord Simon Woolley addressed the crowd, with Lord Woolley stating the academic was the victim of a “public execution.”A petition demanding an inquiry into the media coverage has surpassed 90,000 signatures, while a crowdfunding page has raised more than £170,000.In fullJason Arday’s family condemns ‘public cruelty’ as thousands gather at vigil in his memoryMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in