University of Cambridge seeks four-month protest injunction
The University of Cambridge is seeking a High Court order to block Israel-Palestine protests on parts of its campus for four months.Last year, pro-Palestine protesters staged demonstrations at Senate House Yard and Greenwich House which "forced" a graduation ceremony to be moved, university lawyers said.A previous effort to impose a five-year injunction prohibiting direct action relating to the conflict without its consent on several sites was rejected by a judge in February.The European Legal Support Center (ELSC), which opposes the university's bid, said an injunction would be a "disproportionate infringement" on the protesters' human rights.
The university's latest bid seeks to block protests on graduations planned until 26 July.Myriam Stacey KC, for the university, told a High Court hearing on Wednesday there was a "real and imminent risk" of further action on campus.She said the protesters seemed to be mostly affiliated with the group Cambridge for Palestine, whose stated aims online include for the university to "divest from institutions and companies complicit in the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestine".The sought-after injunction is against "persons unknown", as it is impossible to know which individuals will take part in demonstrations in the future, Ms Stacey said.She told the court it was the activity the university sought to stop, "not the viewpoint", and it took "an entirely neutral approach" aiming to "balance the rights of all students and parties".
Owen Greenhall, for ELSC, said the university was discriminating against the "race and/or political belief" of protesters as it was only after pro-Palestine actions that it sought the injunction, allowing other demonstrations such as those for Ukraine or industrial action.He also said the proposed injunction was "not necessary" and that the university "has not identified any serious risk sufficient to justify the extreme rights infringement now sought".The hearing, before Mr Justice Soole, is expected to conclude on Thursday with judgment given on Friday.
Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
31 minutes ago
- The Independent
Greta Thunberg Gaza flotilla – live: Israeli forces seize Madleen aid ship heading for war-torn enclave
Israeli forces have stopped a Gaza -bound aid boat and detained Greta Thunberg and other activists who were on board, enforcing a longstanding blockade of the Palestinian territory that has been tightened during the war with Hamas. The activists had set out to protest Israel 's ongoing military campaign in the Gaza Strip and its restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid, both of which have put the territory of some two million Palestinians at risk of famine. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which had organised the voyage, said the activists were 'kidnapped by Israeli forces' while trying to deliver desperately needed aid to the territory. 'The ship was unlawfully boarded, its unarmed civilian crew abducted, and its life-saving cargo - including baby formula, food and medical supplies -confiscated,' it said in a statement. Israeli officials, including defence minister Israel Katz, dismissed the activists as engaged in a publicity stunt and said the vessel would be transported to the port of Ashdod. Mr Katz said he had told the military to force the passengers to watch videos of the Hamas atrocities of October 7 upon arrival 'to see exactly who the terrorist organisation they came to support and for whom they work is'. The Israeli foreign ministry added the passengers would be returned to their home countries. Israel 'rams and boards' Gaza-bound Madleen Good morning. We bring you reports that Israel has 'rammed and boarded' the Gaza-bound Madleen vessel off the coast of the enclave. Climate activist Greta Thunberg was among 12 activists on board the ship, which set sail last Sunday from Sicily. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), announced on social media that Israel had intercepted the boat in the early hours of Monday. Tom Watling9 June 2025 08:10
The Independent
38 minutes ago
- The Independent
Body of Hamas military chief recovered from tunnel under Gaza hospital, Israel says
The Israeli army says it has recovered the body of Hamas military chief Mohammed Sinwar from an underground tunnel beneath a hospital in southern Gaza, following a targeted operation in May. Mohammad Shabana, commander of the Rafah Brigade, was also found dead at the scene along with a number of other militants, according to IDF spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin. Israeli forces gave a small group of foreign reporters a tour of the tunnel that had been uncovered beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis. Brigadier General Defrin said it was a major command and control compound for Hamas. "This is another example of the cynical use by Hamas, using civilians as human shields, using civilian infrastructure, hospitals, again and again," he said. "We found underneath the hospital, right under the emergency room, a compound of a few rooms. In one of them we found, we killed Mohammed Sinwar." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Mr Sinwar's death in May, but Brigadier General Defrin said they now had his DNA which proved beyond doubt it was him. Hamas has not commented on reports of the death of either Mr Sinwar or Mr Shabana. Mr Sinwar was the younger brother of Yahya Sinwar, the Palestinian militant group's deceased leader. Yahya Sinwar was the mastermind of the October 2023 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies, and which triggered the Israeli invasion of Gaza. Mr Shabana was one of Hamas's most senior and battle-hardened commanders in southern Gaza. He played a central role in constructing the network of tunnels under the southern city of Rafah, which were used for ambushes and cross-border raids. Destruction The drive to Khan Younis in Israeli military vehicles showed widespread devastation, with countless buildings lying in ruins, and piles of rubble collected at the roadside. The Israeli military has raided or besieged numerous hospitals during the war, alleging that Hamas uses them to conceal fighters and orchestrate operations, a charge Hamas has repeatedly denied. While Israel has presented evidence in certain cases, some of its assertions remain unverified. Brigadier General Defrin said the army had carefully planned the strike near the European Hospital in order not to damage it. A large trench dug in front of the emergency room entrance led down to a hole in the claustrophobic, concrete tunnel, that was used as a hideaway by Hamas fighters, the army said. During the search of the site, Israeli forces recovered weapon stockpiles, ammunition, cash and documents that are now being reviewed for intelligence value. "We will dismantle Hamas because we cannot live with this terror organisation right in our backyard, right across our border," Brigadier General Defrin said. More than 54,000 Palestinians have died during the ongoing Israeli assault, according to Gaza health authorities. The U.N. has warned that most of Gaza's 2.3 million population is at risk of famine.
BreakingNews.ie
an hour ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Israeli forces halt aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg and detain activists
Israeli forces stopped a Gaza-bound aid boat and detained Greta Thunberg and other activists who were on board early on Monday, enforcing a longstanding blockade of the Palestinian territory that has been tightened during the war with Hamas. The activists had set out to protest against Israel's ongoing military campaign in the Gaza Strip and its restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid, both of which have put the territory of some two million Palestinians at risk of famine. Advertisement The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which had organised the voyage, said the activists were 'kidnapped by Israeli forces' while trying to deliver desperately needed aid to the territory. 'The ship was unlawfully boarded, its unarmed civilian crew abducted, and its life-saving cargo — including baby formula, food and medical supplies —confiscated,' it said in a statement. Israel's Foreign Ministry cast the voyage as a public relations stunt, saying in a post on X that 'the 'selfie yacht' of the 'celebrities' is safely making its way to the shores of Israel'. It said the passengers would return to their home countries and the aid would be delivered to Gaza through established channels. Advertisement Climate activist Greta Thunberg stands near a Palestinian flag on the Madleen before setting sail for Gaza (Salvatore Cavalli/AP) It later circulated footage of what appeared to be Israeli military personnel handing out sandwiches and water to the activists, who were wearing orange life vests. Thunberg, a climate campaigner, was among 12 activists aboard the Madleen, which set sail from Sicily a week ago. Along the way, it had stopped on Thursday to rescue four migrants who had jumped overboard to avoid being detained by the Libyan coast guard. 'I urge all my friends, family and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible,' Thunberg said in a pre-recorded message released after the ship was halted. Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent, was also among the volunteers on board. She has been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israeli policies toward the Palestinians. Advertisement After a two-and-a-half-month total blockade aimed at pressuring Hamas, Israel started allowing some basic aid into Gaza last month, but humanitarian workers and experts have warned of famine unless the blockade is lifted and Israel ends its military offensive. An attempt last month by Freedom Flotilla to reach Gaza by sea failed after another of the group's vessels was attacked by two drones while sailing in international waters off Malta. The group blamed Israel for the attack, which damaged the front section of the ship. Israel and Egypt have imposed varying degrees of blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Israel says the blockade is needed to prevent Hamas from importing arms, while critics say it amounts to collective punishment of Gaza's Palestinian population. Advertisement Israel sealed Gaza off from all aid in the early days of the war ignited by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, but later relented under US pressure. In early March, shortly before Israel ended a ceasefire with Hamas, the country again blocked all imports, including food, fuel and medicine. Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the October 7 attack and abducted 251 hostages, more than half of whom have since been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Hamas is still holding 55 hostages, more than half of them believed to be dead. Israel's military campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which has said women and children make up most of the dead. It does not say whether those killed are civilians or combatants. Advertisement World Eid under way in Gaza Strip with prayers outside d... Read More The war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced around 90% of the territory's population, leaving people there almost completely dependent on international aid. Efforts to broker another truce have been deadlocked for months. Hamas says it will only release the remaining hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal, while Israel has vowed to continue the war until all the captives are returned and Hamas is defeated or disarmed and exiled.
