A United Nations rapporteur has criticised the University of Cambridge for seeking a High Court injunction to ban pro-Palestinian protesters from entering or interfering with access to key university sites.
Gina Romero, the UN special rapporteur for Freedom of Assembly, on Thursday urged Cambridge to refrain from “regulations that contravene international standards [on] human rights protection, and to stop harassing and stigmatising the university-based pro-Palestine solidarity movement”.
Cambridge’s application for an injunction this week comes after months of protests from pro-Palestinian students.
If granted, it will forbid protesters from entering or occupying certain university sites “for a purpose connected with the Palestine-Israel conflict”.
Romero said universities must “guarantee and protect peaceful assemblies wherever they take place and regardless of their forms”.
She criticised blanket restrictions on peaceful assemblies as “presumptively disproportionate”.
Rights group Liberty also wrote in conjunction with Romero to the British government’s universities minister, Baroness Jackie Smith, urging her to encourage universities to “respect and uphold students’ right to protest on campuses”.
‘Assault on freedom of expression’
An open letter signed by hundreds of students and members of staff at Cambridge earlier this week condemned the university’s application as an “assault on freedom of expression”.
The letter said the application is “inherently discriminatory and unfair” and “runs contrary to the collective rights and interests of the university community as a whole to debate, assemble and protest in order to hold those in authority to account”.
A spokesperson for the university hit back, telling student newspaper Varsity: “Any claim that the university is trying to restrict protest is ridiculous.
“There are many ways protests can take place and voices can be heard, but the actions we are taking will protect the right of other members of our community to graduate and for staff to carry out their work.”
A protest encampment demanding transparency about the university’s investments and divestment from companies complicit in Israel’s war on Gaza was set up by the student group Cambridge for Palestine last May.
In July, Cambridge committed to funding opportunities for Palestinian academics and students to study at the university and pledged to establish a working group, including student representatives, to review its investments.
In response, Cambridge for Palestine ended the encampment.
Students accused the university in November of “stalling” on its commitments and resumed the protests, which turned into occupations of Senate House and Greenwich House, two university management buildings.
The university has told the High Court that the occupations cost the university “at least £230,000”, adding that if they continue they will cause “irreparable harm” to Cambridge and its stakeholders.
Widespread condemnation
Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union (UCU), which represents academic and support staff, said on Wednesday that the application “is a shameful attack on basic democratic rights from Cambridge bosses”.
She added: “Cambridge risks setting a precedent which could be used to shut down peaceful protest at universities across the country.”
Cambridge’s student union, criticising the university, warned that “even standing outside Senate House to hand in a petition or holding a sign on a nearby street could be deemed unlawful.
“Additionally, the restriction on entering, occupying, or remaining on university land for protest, along with the explicit ban on any structures such as tents, severely curtails students’ ability to engage in a long-term protest and dissent.”
Jonathan Purcell of the UK-based International Centre of Justice for Palestinians said: “Ultimately, these students are simply asking the university to ensure that their investments and partnerships aren’t contributing to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza and the West Bank, demolitions of Palestinians’ homes, and other human rights violations – surely the bare minimum for an educational institution.”
‘If peaceful protest is banned too, how are students supposed to have their voices heard?’
– Jonathan Purcell, International Centre of Justice for Palestinians
He added: “It’s hard to know what people want the students to do. If peaceful protest is banned too, how are students supposed to have their voices heard?”
The precise nature of the university’s investments in companies complicit in Israel’s military activity is unclear
However, Middle East Eye revealed last year that Trinity, the university’s wealthiest college, had $78,089 invested in Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest arms company, which produces 85 percent of the drones and land-based equipment used by the Israeli army.
Trinity students reported in May, after months of protests targeting the college, that they had been told it would divest from all arms companies.
However, the college refused to comment on its investments, and freedom of information requests, seen by MEE late last year, revealed that the college continued to maintain investments in arms companies.
In November, the college’s master insisted that Trinity had “no interest in divesting from arms companies”.
