University of Sheffield granted legal order in court battle with student protest encampment

The University of Sheffield has been granted a possession order requiring a protest encampment outside of the Students’ Union building to leave after 87 days.

The order was granted following a six hour hearing in Sheffield today.

In his judgement, Judge Baddley said that he had to grant the order, given no defence had been offered.

The case was brought by the university’s lawyers, CMS, against “persons unknown”.

Protest organisers say they had declined to defend themselves in court due to their concerns about disciplinary actions that could be brought against them, should individuals be named as defendants.

In an email, sent to students following the hearing, the University of Sheffield’s chief operating officer, Robert Sykes explained the university’s decision to take legal action: “Earlier this month, the University submitted a possession order to the courts on the grounds of trespass to legally require protestors to leave. Our request was considered and granted in court today (Friday 26 July), which means protesters will be legally obligated to leave the site.

Please be assured that this action has not been taken lightly. Despite numerous attempts to enable a peaceful protest, we must take action to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our students, staff and visitors, and to ensure that there are no further risks to the University’s business.”

Earlier this week, protestors from the encampment refused to tell The Sheffield Tab if they would attempt to remain in place if the order was granted.

Yesterday, the protest organisers posted to social media calling for people to join them at a rally tomorrow at the encampment, saying: “Join us in recognising Palestinian steadfastness guiding us to become the UK’s longest-standing encampment.”

via @palestine.sccp posted yesterday calling for a rally at the encampment tomorrow afternoon

The encampment outside the Students’ Union building is one of just a few remaining in the UK, as a succession of protest encampments at universities have dispersed after similar legal judgements.

In recent weeks, encampments in Nottingham, Bristol and a number of other universities have closed after facing possession orders.

The number of protestors present at outside the Students’ Union building has fluctuated this summer, but protestors say they have maintained at least four people at the encampment at all times to ensure their presence persists.

They have been helped to maintain a presence by non-student protest organisations in Sheffield.

Protestors from cycling protest organisation Big Ride for Palestine and members of the Sheffield branch of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign have been present at the camp since it began.

Protestors from Big Ride for Palestine at the encampment during a demonstration for Nakba Day on May 15th

In a press release, the Sheffield Campus Coalition for Palestine said: “In a court hearing on Friday, 26 July, Judge Baddley ruled in favour of the University of Sheffield’s Possession Order, mandating the eviction of the Sheffield Campus Coalition for Palestine (SCCP) encampment.

Despite the peaceful protest and the support the camp garnered, the decision means members must vacate the premises or risk potentially violent eviction by bailiffs. Although disheartened by the outcome, the encampment members remain steadfast in their commitment to raising awareness and advocating for Palestinian liberation.”

The lengthy press release also questioned the validity of property law as a legitimate basis for the court’s judgement, and blamed “Western imperialist monopolies” for the decision.

Since October 7th, there has been a marked increase in protests related to the conflict in the Middle East in the UK, and while this was associated with reports of intimidation during the general election, there have been no concrete reports or evidence about intimidation or antisemitism relating to Sheffield’s protest encampment.

The percentage of Israeli’s military imports that come from UK companies is, however, small. According to the BBC, the value of British arms exports to Israel amounted to only £42 million in 2022, much less than the US, Germany and even Italy, which only accounts for 0.9 per cent of the weapons Israel buys from the international market.

A spokesperson for the University of Sheffield said: “The camp has been outside of our Students’ Union building since 1 May and is raising a number of health and safety concerns, as well as causing ongoing disruption to university activities and our community. As a result, we sought to obtain a possession order. This has been granted today and requires the protestors to draw the camp to a close.”