Cambridge University threatens pro-Palestinian occupation with suspension

The University has allegedly delivered a letter threatening legal and disciplinary action to students occupying Greenwich House

7 hours ago

April O'Neill | News

The University of Cambridge has threatened pro-Palestinian students with legal and disciplinary action over the occupation of Greenwich House.

Today Cambridge for Palestine (C4P) announced that the University delivered a new letter to students occupying the university administrative building on Monday afternoon that threatens escalating legal and disciplinary action.

The letter allegedly announced the prospect of “permanent or temporary exclusion from the University” alongside escalated police action.

C4P claims that throughout the occupation of Kanafani House (previously known as Greenwich House) so far the University has failed to take the opportunity to listen to student demands and has ignored public and private outreach from protestors.

This follows the C4P encampment on Senate House lawn being served with notices earlier this week for impending legal action if their occupation continued. C4P claims that the University has refused to engage with student protestors at both the former Senate House Liberated Zone and Kanafani House and has suspended the student-led task force on arms divestment.

C4P also claims that the University has threatened to exclude its own students from the community instead of engaging with their act of “principled civil disobedience”.

C4P commented that: “Students do not protest, occupy, and escalate for empty disruption. We do so in order to make our voices heard within a system that refuses to listen to us. Cambridge’s threats will not silence the movement. Tactics of repression will only further strengthen the urgent fight for divestment during genocide.”

A spokesperson for the University of Cambridge told The Tab Cambridge: “As an employer, and as a trusted partner to many other external organisations, we must take our responsibilities for the information held in Greenwich House – much of which is confidential and/or sensitive – extremely seriously.”