All empires must fall, and in 2018 the infamous Facebook page ‘Grudgebridge’ was deleted following a controversial campaign against drinking societies. Numerous Varsity articles from May and June of 2018 detail the rapid series of events which resulted in this unexpected downfall.

The Facebook page had been created 15 months prior in opposition to Crushbridge to provide Cambridge students with a forum to express annoyances rather than compliments. It quickly accumulated close to 5000 likes by frequently posting anonymous grievances which ranged from over-priced cafeteria food to attacks on individuals. 

“Cambridge's #MeToo moment”

Our story begins on Caesarean Sunday when a video was leaked on Grudgebridge of a meeting of a Trinity Hall drinking society in the Regal where an attendee broadcasted the opinion that “inclusivity” was “the single biggest problem facing the Crescents in the modern age”. The video swiftly garnered over 2200 views, led to the cancellation of the Crescents Garden Party, and within days this drinking society had disbanded.

Just two days later on May 11th, Varsity revealed the update from a Grudgebridge administrator that “AS OF TODAY GRUDGEBRIDGE IS DEDICATED TO TAKING DOWN DRINKING SOCIETIES”. The page was then flooded with anonymous “allegations of bullying and sexual harassment”.

Varsity soon reported on the criticisms from CUCA, the Cambridge University Conservative Association, of “blatant slander without accountability”, as Grudgebridge’s mission developed “beyond eradication of drinking societies, with a number of posts making unsubstantiated allegations about the culture within CUCA”.

An anonymous opinion piece from May 14th lauded this “crusade” as a “vital and commendable movement”, however warned that “if Grudgebridge does not adjust its aims and methods it will simply divide and radicalise”. A May 15th comment writer labelled Grudgebridge as “Cambridge’s #MeToo moment” which “offers a voice to the voiceless”. Indeed, in Varsity’s 20th June 2018 edition the Grudgebridge admins declared “we have a duty to improve the quality of life for all students here”.

In response to the rise in reports of bullying and sexual misconduct in drinking societies, Stephen Toope, Vice-chancellor of the University, called for university action, and the President of Cambridge for Consent remarked in Varsity that “there needs to be some form of productive change”.

Finally, Varsity notified readers to the end to Grudgebridge’s crusade against drinking societies on May 31st with an administrator condemning it as a “hate platform” and deleting the page (nevertheless, the page was later restored after a Facebook content review).