Mourners say Jason Arday 'was hunted' by tabloid media before his death

Mourners at a London vigil for Jason Arday have accused the British tabloid media of "hunting" the late Cambridge professor, with thousands of people now calling for an inquiry into his death.Professor Arday died last week following weeks of intense media coverage that questioned the veracity of his extraordinary life story and the provenance of his academic work.The 41-year-old sociology professor, who made history in 2023 as Cambridge's youngest Black professor, had reportedly told friends his position at the fabled institution was constantly being undermined and university leadership have described the intense press reaction as a "racist feeding frenzy".At a vigil organised by the campaign group Stand Up to Racism in Trafalgar Square, there was a feeling of immense sadness mixed with visceral anger toward the media.One attendee told the ABC she believed Dr Arday was "hunted and hunted and hunted until the young man didn't have a choice".Another mourner stated, "He was a Black man who beat all the odds and succeeded at Cambridge, an institution that we tell our young men to strive for. But he was hounded; it was a witch hunt".One man described the last few days as "traumatic" as the UK's Black community processed Dr Arday's sudden passing. Organisers estimated "several thousand" people attended the gathering.More than 90,000 people have signed a petition seeking an independent inquiry into the media's handling of the academic.The petition states his death followed "two weeks of relentless harassment". The press scrutiny focused heavily on Dr Arday's claims he was non-verbal during his childhood, that he had achieved extraordinary athletic feats, and he had signed a lucrative book deal.Much of the reporting also accused Dr Arday, whose core research revolved around race relations and inequality, of plagiarising his PhD thesis.More than 90,000 people have signed a petition seeking an independent inquiry into the media's handling of the academic. (Reuters: Chris J Ratcliffe)Cambridge Chancellor says possible to 'hold to two principles' Cambridge Chancellor Lord Chris Smith said Dr Arday's treatment had crossed a line."I do believe it is possible to hold to two principles at the same time: to believe in the importance of academic integrity, and where criticisms of plagiarism arise about any academic, whoever they are, ensure that they are rigorously investigated," he said."And also to refuse to join in a racist feeding frenzy over a particular academic."Dr Arday resigned from his post on August 5. In his resignation letter, he emphasised his departure "should not be mistaken for an acceptance of the narratives that have surrounded me".Following his death, a crowdfunding campaign raised more than $300,000 to support funeral costs and his wife and two children.UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who has declined to state whether the government will formally back a public inquiry described the professor's death as a "tragedy on every level".