Leeds University trade unions publicly support encampment students in open letter to VC
The unions called on the university to meet the students’ demands as soon as possible and to ensure better protection after an incident
Leeds University’s trade unions have announced their support for the ongoing pro-Palestine encampment taking place outside Leeds University Union.
In a letter to the university’s vice chancellor and secretary, Leeds UCU, UNISON and Unite unions expressed concerns for the safety of students currently participating in the encampment after it was reported that an incident had occurred where students were threatened by a hostile group.
View this post on Instagram
The letter called on the university to make sure demonstrators have “sufficient support” from campus security and that security are “focused on ensuring the safety of the students.”
In addition, it requested advice on what measures had been put in place “to ensure the safety and wellbeing of colleagues in security.”
It recommended the provision of a “place/person” for individuals to “talk to in confidence, if the nature of this work is causing more than the usual stresses.”
It also asked the university to “meet the students’ demands as soon as possible in order to avoid further escalation.”
The trade unions said the letter followed reports that students taking part in the encampment were at increasing risk: “As you may be aware from social media or from the students themselves, over the past nights the students have faced escalating threats of violence and disturbance late at night.
“This culminated last night in one of the group harassing the students threatening them with weapons, including a knife.
“The students have also been subjected to aggressive sexist and racist derogatory language, which should not be tolerated by any member of the university community.”
The encampment, which began on 1 May, is occupying the green space outside LUU in solidarity with Palestine.
Demonstrators, who are protesting under the name Leeds Students Against Apartheid Coalition, have criticised Leeds University’s “complicity in Israel’s crimes against humanity.”
They have called on the university to end all links to Israel: “As the prospect of an invasion of Rafah threatens to kill Palestinians on an unprecedented scale, it is more urgent than ever for us to end institutional support.
“The university’s complicity is but a manifestation of the marketisation of education institutions, which prioritise profits over teaching quality, working conditions, and basic morals and ethics.”
A spokesperson for the University of Leeds said: “The university is monitoring the situation to ensure the safety of participants, as well as our wider community of staff and students. The surrounding area remains open.
“Whilst we respect the right to freedom of expression within the law, we are working to minimise disruption for everyone on campus.
“We know that many in our community are distressed and directly impacted by the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza, and we will continue to do more to support our students, act to protect the cohesion of our community and tackle hatred wherever it is found.”
The Leeds student camp is now one of 14 encampments on university campuses across the UK, which also include Oxford, Cambridge, Warwick, Bristol, Sheffield and Manchester.
Related stories recommended by this writer:
Latest
10 night out lessons every Manchester student learns by their final year
Get your master’s in a Manc night out
All the signs we missed that Ross and Sacha from MAFS UK were wrong for each other from the start
They’re both a Sagittarius. It was never going to work
Manchester Arena bombing survivors win £45k from conspiracy theorist who called it a hoax
Martin Hibbert and his daughter were severely injured at the concert and sued the ex-tv presenter for damages
The memes about THAT Outer Banks death will have you sobbing as much as the finale
Life is literally over
Brittany from Love Is Blind has a new famous boyfriend who’s worth more than Leo’s Rolex
They even met at one of his concerts with Alex and Hannah!
Five signs that you are actually the nightmare flatmate
Just pick up a tea towel now and again – it’s really not that difficult x
The definitive ranking of the MAFS UK brides and grooms of 2024
What an utterly chaotic eight weeks of TV
Was the MAFS UK reunion staged? These two glaring editing errors could be undeniable proof
Could it be this obvious?
Family of Cardiff student who took her own life is calling for better duty of care by unis
Mared died seven hours after receiving an incorrect result which said she’d failed an exam
PETA urges University of York to remove poultry from its menus following Long Boi memorial
The animal rights charity wants the uni to ‘honour Long Boi’s memory’
10 night out lessons every Manchester student learns by their final year
Get your master’s in a Manc night out
All the signs we missed that Ross and Sacha from MAFS UK were wrong for each other from the start
They’re both a Sagittarius. It was never going to work
Manchester Arena bombing survivors win £45k from conspiracy theorist who called it a hoax
Martin Hibbert and his daughter were severely injured at the concert and sued the ex-tv presenter for damages
The memes about THAT Outer Banks death will have you sobbing as much as the finale
Life is literally over
Brittany from Love Is Blind has a new famous boyfriend who’s worth more than Leo’s Rolex
They even met at one of his concerts with Alex and Hannah!
Five signs that you are actually the nightmare flatmate
Just pick up a tea towel now and again – it’s really not that difficult x
The definitive ranking of the MAFS UK brides and grooms of 2024
What an utterly chaotic eight weeks of TV
Was the MAFS UK reunion staged? These two glaring editing errors could be undeniable proof
Could it be this obvious?
Family of Cardiff student who took her own life is calling for better duty of care by unis
Mared died seven hours after receiving an incorrect result which said she’d failed an exam
PETA urges University of York to remove poultry from its menus following Long Boi memorial
The animal rights charity wants the uni to ‘honour Long Boi’s memory’