Court refuses University's application to remove pro-Palestine encampment
The protesting students are yet to face immediate eviction
A judge has refused the University of Bristol's application to immediately remove a student protest encampment.
Since the 1st May 2024 students in around 25 tents have occupied part of Royal Fort Gardens, on the University’s campus.
The students’ are calling on the University to fully disclose its financial partnerships and cut ties with arms manufacturers connected to Israel’s actions in Palestine.
A University of Bristol spokesperson said: “We support the right to freedom of expression and to engage in lawful, peaceful protest and understand the deeply held concerns that many in our community feel about the situation in Israel-Gaza.
“Since the encampment was set up eight weeks ago, the University has treated those involved with courtesy, dignity and respect.
"Unfortunately, especially during the last few weeks, we have seen actions on campus that fall far short of our behavioural expectations.
“The encampment has become a focal point for some of these unacceptable behaviours, including we believe from people outside of the University.
"Some of this has gone beyond what is an acceptable expression of views, raising significant concerns over the safety of our community and our visitors and interfering with core university business.
"As such we have taken legal action to disperse the encampment.”
Representatives for the University of Bristol asked Circuit Judge Alex Ralton for an order for possession, a precursor to an eviction, in a hearing at the Bristol County Court.
Judge Ralton refused the University’s application for an immediate order and scheduled a further hearing on 19 July 2024, allowing the protestors time to lodge a formal defence.
English student Joseph Burns said: “The University has shown contempt for its own students and for basic human rights in serving the encampment with this claim.
"As the global student movement has shown, these demands are far from unachievable.
"The University’s comments smear peaceful student protesters and completely misrepresent the nature of the encampment.
"The collaboration with arms manufacturers selling and developing weapons, with full awareness of the atrocities these weapons are used to commit, implicates us all."
Ruth Mellor, a solicitor at the civil liberties firm Deighton Pierce Glynn, acting for Mr Burns said: “Universities are legally required to take reasonable step to ensure that freedom of speech within the law is secured for its students.
"They are also prohibited from discriminating against students on account of protected philosophical beliefs, a category which the courts have found includes anti-Zionism.
"At a time when the deaths of civilians in Palestine continues to rise it is only right that the legal rights of those raising concerns about the scope of military support for Israel are fully protected.”
There will be a further hearing on the 19th July.