British government tries to avert the type of unrest seen on American campuses

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Thursday called for an end to antisemitism on campus as he met with university leaders in an effort to prevent the type of unrest seen on American campuses in recent weeks.

Sunak summoned the vice chancellors of Britain's top universities to his Downing Street offices after the government said “antisemitic abuse” was disrupting learning amid a growing number of pro-Palestinian protests.

Ahead of the meeting, Sunak warned of “students and academic staff being targeted, threatened, and assaulted simply for being Jewish.”

“We will always protect freedom of speech and the right to protest," Sunak wrote in the Times of London. “But just as importantly, universities have a profound duty to remain bastions of tolerance, where such debate takes place with respect for others — and where every student feels safe and at home, whatever their faith or background.”

Pro-Palestinian protesters have built encampments at about a dozen U.K. universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, over the past two weeks as some students and academics call on the institutions to cut ties with Israel over the conflict in Gaza.

While the protests have so far remained relatively small and peaceful, some Jewish students are expressing concerns about antisemitism.

Sunak’s office said he had invited vice chancellors from some of the U.K.’s top universities to discuss efforts to tackle antisemitism on campus. Vice chancellors are the top academic and administrative officials at British universities.

As part of the effort, Sunak announced that the government would provide an additional 500,000 pounds ($623,000) to the University Jewish Chaplaincy Service to support Jewish students.

The number of antisemitic incidents at the U.K.'s 142 universities tripled last year as tensions rose over the war in the Middle East, according to the Communities Security Trust, which works to combat antisemitism in Britain.

That mirrors the trend seen across Europe and the U.S. following Hamas’ deadly attack on Oct. 7 and Israel’s ensuing military campaign in Gaza, according to major Jewish organizations.

Hamas and other militants abducted around 250 people in the attack and killed around 1,200, mostly civilians. They are still believed to be holding around 100 hostages and the remains of some 30 others.

Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed over 34,000 Palestinians, displaced around 80% of the population and pushed hundreds of thousands of people to the brink of famine, Palestinian officials say.

The war has inflamed tensions around the world, triggering pro-Palestinian protests including encampments on U.S. college campuses where disruption and confrontations with counter-protesters have attracted police intervention. Israel and its supporters have branded the protests as antisemitic, while critics of Israel say it uses such allegations to silence opponents.

By calling in the vice chancellors, Sunak has inserted himself into the debate about balancing the right of free speech against the right of all students to pursue their education without fear of intimidation.

Sally Mapstone, president of the higher education trade body Universities U.K., said universities have a duty to provide a safe environment for everyone on campus and they are taking that responsibility very seriously amid recent tensions.

“We want to work with government (and with the Department for Education) to do everything we can to generate a culture which de-escalates the tensions that we are seeing at the moment and allows reasoned debate without the opportunities for harassment, which are concerning,” Mapstone, who is also vice chancellor at the University of St. Andrews, said in an interview with the BBC.

Mapstone added that she did not think antisemitism was an intrinsic problem at British universities.

“But I do think the universities are crucibles of ideas and debate,” she said. “And when tensions are running high across the country, as they demonstrably are, then universities, because they’re full of young people with very strong and impassioned views, become a focus for those sorts of debates."

Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak holds a meeting with universities leaders and representatives from the Union of Jewish Students in Downing Street, London, England, Thursday May 9, 2024. Pro-Palestinian protesters have begun building encampments at universities around the U.K. over the past two weeks as students and academics call on the institutions to cut ties with Israel over its offensive in the Gaza Strip. (Carl Court/Pool via AP)

Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, center, with Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, left, and Edward Isaacs, President of the Union of Jewish Students attend a meeting with universities leaders and representatives from the Union of Jewish Students in Downing Street, London, England, Thursday May 9, 2024. Pro-Palestinian protesters have begun building encampments at universities around the U.K. over the past two weeks as students and academics call on the institutions to cut ties with Israel over its offensive in the Gaza Strip. (Carl Court/Pool via AP)

Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, center, and Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, center left, hold a meeting with universities leaders and representatives from the Union of Jewish Students in Downing Street, London, England, Thursday May 9, 2024. Pro-Palestinian protesters have begun building encampments at universities around the U.K. over the past two weeks as students and academics call on the institutions to cut ties with Israel over its offensive in the Gaza Strip. (Carl Court/Pool via AP)

Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak holds a meeting with universities leaders and representatives from the Union of Jewish Students in Downing Street, London, England, Thursday May 9, 2024. Pro-Palestinian protesters have begun building encampments at universities around the U.K. over the past two weeks as students and academics call on the institutions to cut ties with Israel over its offensive in the Gaza Strip. (Carl Court/Pool via AP)

Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, center, and Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, center left, hold a meeting with universities leaders and representatives from the Union of Jewish Students in Downing Street, London, England, Thursday May 9, 2024. Pro-Palestinian protesters have begun building encampments at universities around the U.K. over the past two weeks as students and academics call on the institutions to cut ties with Israel over its offensive in the Gaza Strip. (Carl Court/Pool via AP)

Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak holds a meeting with universities leaders and representatives from the Union of Jewish Students in Downing Street, London, England, Thursday May 9, 2024. Pro-Palestinian protesters have begun building encampments at universities around the U.K. over the past two weeks as students and academics call on the institutions to cut ties with Israel over its offensive in the Gaza Strip. (Carl Court/Pool via AP)

Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, center, and Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, center left, hold a meeting with universities leaders and representatives from the Union of Jewish Students in Downing Street, London, England, Thursday May 9, 2024. Pro-Palestinian protesters have begun building encampments at universities around the U.K. over the past two weeks as students and academics call on the institutions to cut ties with Israel over its offensive in the Gaza Strip. (Carl Court/Pool via AP)

Pro-Palestinian students and demonstrators shout slogans at the campus of SOAS University of London as students occupy parts of university campus in London, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Pro-Palestinian students and demonstrators shout slogans at the campus of SOAS University of London as students occupy parts of university campus in London, Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

FILE - Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak leaves 10 Downing Street to go to the House of Commons for his weekly Prime Minister's Questions in London, May 1, 2024. Rishi Sunak is calling for an end to “antisemitic abuse” at U.K. universities as protests against the war in Gaza expand and the government tries to head off the type of unrest seen on American campuses in recent weeks. The comments came as Sunak and his education secretary prepared to meet with university leaders on Thursday May 9, 2024 at Downing Street. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

MIAMI (AP) — Harrison Bader and Tyrone Taylor each drove in two runs in a four-run first inning, star closer Edwin Díaz was not used in a save situation and the New York Mets beat the Miami Marlins 7-3 on Sunday for just their second win in seven games.

Brandon Nimmo homered and Francisco Lindor singled twice following a 1-for-27 skid as the Mets rebounded from blowing a four-run, ninth-inning lead on Saturday and avoided a three-game sweep. New York stopped Miami’s four-game winning streak.

“You’re not defined by what you do the day before. You’re defined by how you get up from adversity,” Lindor said. “We wanted this one for sure. I think it’s important to win after a tough loss like that.”

Sean Manaea (3-1) allowed two runs and five hits in five innings. Sean Reid-Foley and Jake Diekman pitched an inning each, and Reed Garrett got his second save by allowing one hit over two innings with four strikeouts in a 34-pitch outing.

Díaz has a 10.80 ERA over his last eight appearances after serving up four homers in 8 1/3 innings. He has blown three of his last four save chances.

“We all believe in him. We all know he’s going to be back,” Garrett said. “Whenever my name’s called, I’ll pitch, but I know as a collective unit we all believe in Edwin and we know what he can do.”

New York (21-25) had dropped five games under .500 on Saturday for the first time since an 0-5 start.

“Not an easy weekend, not the way we expected, but we just have to continue to move forward,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Today was a huge win for us.”

With New York ahead 4-3, Nimmo hit a two-run homer off Anthony Bender in a three-run ninth that included Brett Baty’s RBI single.

“I was just looking for a good pitch in the middle of the plate to drive,” Nimmo said. “I was able to hit that ball — good launch angle — and hit it hard. Found its way out of the ballpark.”

Nimmo returned to the lineup Saturday after missing two games because of a stomach illness.

“I’m coming around,” Nimmo said. “It’s been a little bit of a journey the last three days to get over the sickness. Right now, I’m just trying to get some appetite back. I’m definitely not at 100%. Just trying to battle through it and glad that I was able to help out there at the end and solidify the win.”

Dane Myers hit a two-run homer in the second, and Christian Bethancourt had a solo drive in the seventh against DIekman.

Sixto Sánchez (0-2) allowed four runs and six hits in four innings. He gave up Taylor’s two-out double in the first and Bader’s single.

“He was obviously better second through the fourth inning but he put us in a hole early,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “At this level it’s hard to come back from four runs every single time. He’s not giving his teammates a chance to win.”

Miami recalled right-handed reliever Emmanuel Ramirez from Jacksonville and optioned right-handed reliever Anthony Maldonado to the Triple-A farm team.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: DH J.D. Martinez (flu symptoms) didn’t play but was available to pinch hit. Mendoza said Martinez played through the illness the prior two days.

Marlins: INF Tim Anderson (lower back tightness) homered and had three singles in five at-bats during a rehab game with Jacksonville on Saturday, then went 0 for 4 with a walk on Sunday.

UP NEXT

Mets: RHP Tylor Megill (0-1, 2.25) will start the opener of a three-game series at Cleveland on Monday. RHP Ben Lively (2-2, 3.06) will start for the Guardians.

Marlins: LHP Ryan Weathers (2-4, 3.81) is scheduled to start the opener of a three-game home series against Milwaukee on Monday. The Brewers will go with RHP Joe Ross (2-4, 4.61).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

New York Mets' Sean Manaea delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

New York Mets' Brandon Nimmo (9) and Francisco Lindor (12) congratulate each other after they scored on a double by Tyrone Taylor, during the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

New York Mets center fielder Harrison Bader is unable to catch a ball hit by Miami Marlins' Josh Bell for a double, during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Miami Marlins third base Emmanuel Rivera, right, tags out New York Mets' Harrison Bader as he slides into third base during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

New York Mets center fielder Harrison Bader (44) catches a ball hit by Miami Marlins' Josh Bell as both he and left fielder Tyrone Taylor (15) vie for the ball during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

New York Mets relief pitcher Reed Garrett, right, and catcher Omar Narvaez celebrate after the Mets beat the Miami Marlins 7-3, during a baseball game, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)