Two UK universities have been granted possession orders by the High Court, allowing them to evict student activists from Gaza protest encampments set up on their campuses in May. The ruling, delivered by Mr Justice Johnson on Wednesday, applies to the University of Nottingham and the University of Birmingham, both of which had sought to clear the tents citing trespass and disruption.
The judge ruled that the protesters had “no prospect” of proving that their human rights to free speech and assembly would be violated by the eviction. He noted there were “many other ways” activists could protest without occupying university land. The decision is a setback for the network of encampments that emerged across UK universities to protest Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
Lawyers for Joel Butterworth, also known as River Butterworth, the only named protester at Nottingham, argued the university was failing to follow its own policies and curtailing rights. However, Mr Justice Johnson found “no evidence” of policy breaches and stated that the protesters had “fundamentally” breached the university’s codes by occupying land without permission.
A spokesperson for the University of Nottingham said the court order would allow the university to “take action should the need arise to protect the health and safety of our university community and to minimise disruption.” The judge also rejected a claim of discrimination based on belief made by a Birmingham protester, saying there was “no evidence to support such a suggestion.”
Many other encampments, including those at Warwick and Oxford, have voluntarily closed or ended in the face of legal action. However, groups at some universities, such as Manchester, have vowed to revive the protests if the conflict continues into the autumn term.
