3 days ago
Two Cambridge University colleges seek injunctions against pro-Palestine activists
Two university colleges are seeking High Court injunctions against pro-Palestine demonstrations, saying they are 'disruptive to students taking their exams.'
On Friday, activists camped on Newton Lawn outside Trinity College in Cambridge, playing music and chanting, and later moved to a lawn outside St John's College, a lawyer for Cambridge University said.
The protesters left after the High Court granted temporary injunctions on Sunday and Monday, meaning further protests could result in activists being found to be in contempt of court.
At a hearing on Thursday, Kester Lees KC, for the colleges, asked for the injunctions to be made final and to last for 12 months, saying the protests are disruptive to students taking their exams.
In written submissions, he said the university was 'concerned about the environment of fear and intimidation created by masked protesters', adding that 'some chanting was directly aimed at disrupting the examination season'.
He also said the university does not wish to stop all protests and suggested a 'myriad' of other options, such as a march or online and writing campaigns.
'There is nothing that ties them to needing to be on the claimant's private land in order to form a protest.
'Even if they wanted to do an encampment protest, there is nothing to say they need to be on the lawn where the students are coming through during exam season," he added.
In requesting the injunction, Mr Lees said damages would not be an appropriate remedy because 'any impact on a student's grade will be an indelible mark for the rest of their professional life'.
Grant Kynaston, for the European Legal Support Centre (ELSC), which supports the legal rights of pro-Palestine activists, said the court action has been rushed and that more time should be given, during which further evidence could be provided.
'The claimant's application relies primarily on the fact that the noise of protesters may disrupt students preparing for examinations,' he said in written submissions.
'However, its evidence consists only of two brief noise complaints, one of which ceased at the claimant's request.'
Mr Kynaston asked the court to discontinue the injunction, saying that if it were to be granted, it would be an 'exceptionally wide-ranging and uncalibrated interference' with the protesters' human rights.
He also said there is a trend of higher education institutions relying on court injunctions as a first, rather than as a last resort, for enforcing against protests on their land.
He added: 'This conduct, treating injunctive relief as the first, rather than the last, resort, is inconsistent with the high standard required of claimants seeking this form of newcomer relief, let alone with a rights-protective approach.
'The court should not endorse it.'
Judge Andrew Twigger KC is expected to give judgment in two to three weeks, during which time the temporary injunctions will remain in place.
