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Emily Dawes, the president of Southampton University Student Union, promised to deface the mural because it featured white men. Her original tweet read: “Mark my words - we’re taking down the mural of white men in the uni Senate room, even if I have to paint over it myself.” The mural is dedicated to students who were killed fighting for their country between 1914-1918, with the students shown receiving their degree certificates. But facing a furious backlash from locals, the university has now been forced to lock the Senate Room at the university campus, where the treasured war mural is housed.

Ms Dawes is official on leave from her position as Southampton SU President

The Rothenstein Mural represented students who served and sacrificed their lives in the Great War

A university staff member told The Southampton Tab student media website the Senate room had been locked over Ms Dawes pledge to deface the memorial. The University Union’s Vice President of Sports, Steve Gore, said in a statement: “Please note that Emily Dawes is on leave until further notice and therefore will not be reachable for correspondence for her day to day duties. “SUSU has already made a statement regarding the incident and our staff and sabbs are not at liberty to comment any further at this time.” Meanwhile, student union employees have been advised not to wear their uniforms in public for fears over their safety as anger continues in the city.

The Twitter updated posted by Ms Dawes vowing she would "tear down" memorial