Queen Mary University of London has sought a court order to forcibly remove a student encampment established to protest against Israel’s actions in Gaza and the university’s associations with Israeli academic institutions. The encampment, set up last month, has become a point of contention, with the university citing health and safety concerns as justification for its removal.
On Friday morning, the university presented its case to the High Court, following the issuance of a possession order to students on Thursday evening. The encampment was organized by students in response to the Israeli bombardment of Gaza and to oppose the university’s collaborations with the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv University.
Court documents reveal that Queen Mary University used images of Muslim students engaged in Friday prayers and whiteboards advertising Yoga sessions as examples of unauthorized activities to support their case for dismantling the encampment. The university argues that these activities posed risks that justified their removal.
In an email to students and staff, Vice-Chancellor Colin Bailey outlined several concerns: “The risks include, but are not limited to, our students putting themselves in danger by climbing on our property to display banners and flags, the danger of these items falling or being blown off, potentially onto other people or into the Mile End Road, and a significant fire risk presented by the encampment itself.”
Bailey also noted that attempts had been made to disperse the students on three occasions without success and that the encampment had become a rallying point for individuals intending to cause damage and disruption. He emphasized that the students were bypassing the university’s processes for inviting speakers and the public onto campus, which are in place to ensure community safety.
A spokesperson for the student encampment countered the university’s claims, describing them as gross mischaracterizations: “Many of their claims are not true, and in time, our lawyers will be able to prove as much. Students’ relationships and communications with the security personnel on campus, our emphasis on safety, is at odds with how we have been depicted.”
The spokesperson criticized the university for choosing legal action over dialogue, stating, “It feels absurd that rather than engage in conversations with us, which would be a reasonable means to us taking down the encampment, they would rather pick a legal fight with young students who feel compelled to end our own complicity in genocide.”
Local support for the encampment has been evident, with Tower Hamlets residents staging weekly protests outside the university gates on Mile End Road. The encampment at Queen Mary University is part of a broader movement inspired by similar actions at universities in the United States, with several other British universities also setting up encampments in response to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
By the time of writing, Queen Mary University had not responded to requests for comment.
