Demonstrations on campus
Latest update: Tuesday 28 May
Warwick Stands With Palestine – a coalition of student and staff organisations – are planning to hold a rally outside Senate House today (Tuesday 28 May) from 1pm. This is part of an ongoing demonstration.
The Community Safety Team will provide support if the demonstration moves across campus. You may be asked for your University ID to enter some buildings or asked to use different routes than normal.
As you know, universities are bastions of critical thinking and open dialogue, where free speech is vigorously protected. However, racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, and any form of abuse, incitement, or harassment which is targeted at an individual or group is not acceptable. We encourage all incidents to be reported promptly via our Report + Support serviceLink opens in a new window.
Previous updates:
As you’re probably aware, Warwick Stands with Palestine – a coalition of student and staff organisations – is currently maintaining an encampment on the lawns outside Senate House. The University is managing this demonstration in line with its legal duty to protect freedom of speech. Free speech will be vigorously protected at Warwick, as long as discourse is occurring within a framework of respect and safety.
Over the past week, Warwick Stands with Palestine has increased its activity from mainly peaceful actions to direct tactics. This has included unauthorised entry into the University’s Executive Office at University House causing intimidation to the administrative support staff, disruption at a University conference venue amongst external guests and an alleged assault on security staff. These actions are causing distress for members of our staff, other students, guests and the wider community and they are wholly unacceptable.
Whilst extra security has been put in place, we are having to take further steps to maintain the safety of all our community. From Friday 24 May, University House will be closed to students until further notice. The only exception will be if you have written confirmation of an appointment. This includes the Learning Grids, which will close temporarily, and we ask that you instead use the many other study spaces available across campus.
Elsewhere, you may be asked for your university ID to enter some buildings or asked to use different routes than normal. Please rest assured that these measures are in place to help the University continue its normal activity and, above all, keep everyone safe and secure.
The University has emphasised to the encampment and the whole of our community that any occurrence of racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, or any form of abuse, incitement, harassment or physical violence against any individual or group will not be tolerated. Such actions may contravene our own regulations and are potentially unlawful.
The University has also urged all our community to act with kindness and empathy, even when a view is different to their own.
Above all, we urge all staff and students to stay safe, prioritise their wellbeing, and ensure that their actions and behaviours are within the boundaries of the law.
All students, including any students involved in the encampment, have access to all the normal support mechanisms at Warwick, including speaking to your personal tutor or to Wellbeing and Student SupportLink opens in a new window services. If you have any concerns, remember that you can also report these confidentially to Report and SupportLink opens in a new window.