Students at Cardiff University have been threatened with jail time if they continue to protest on campus.
The university has obtained a new High Court injunction in response to the now-disbanded Palestine camp outside the main building. The injunction bans any protest and pickets occurring on university property without executive approval, reports WalesOnline.
The injunction warns: “Anyone in breach of the order will be in contempt of court and may be imprisoned, fined, or have their assets seized.”
The university denied banning free speech or legitimate protest, instead insisting that the injunction was necessary to maintain campus security.
However, critics fear it has much wider-ranging impacts on future protests, while acknowledging it was sought in response to the Palestine protest.
The High Court injunction gives the university the right to prohibit all protest activity across 10 sites on campus, up until July 2026. It applies to both university property and to adjoining public highways.
Dr Val Aston, lecturer in criminal and human rights law at Swansea University, and an expert in how protest is policed, said: “It is very concerning that Cardiff University has resorted to the use of protest injunctions. These are draconian measures which impose potentially severe penalties for activities which are otherwise entirely lawful and legitimate.”
Cardiff Metropolitan University and the University of South Wales have all confirmed they are taking no such legal action regarding protests.
A Cardiff University spokesperson said: “The university rejects the suggestion that we are suppressing the right to peaceful and lawful protest.
“We have not ‘banned every form of protest’. In authorising the injunction, it was made clear that the evidence presented by the university was compelling and that the actions do not prohibit conduct which is lawful, and do not prohibit lawful protest.
“Whilst we remain absolutely committed to free speech and to the right to peaceful protest, part of the DNA of our university, in this, our second year of working with protesters in respect of the war in Palestine, we have seen an escalation in practices that put protesters and the community at risk.
“We have therefore had to take steps to ensure that the whole community can peacefully and safely engage with university spaces and support services.”
Regarding the Palestine protests, a Cardiff University spokesperson said: “The encampment outside Cardiff University’s Main Building left voluntarily. The documents were served on Friday (30th May). They are publicly available here.
“The encampment on Horseshoe Drive of Main Building was established without the university’s consent and raised a number of safety, well being, and safeguarding issues. Whilst efforts were made to engage, members of the encampment largely refused to identify themselves and chose to conceal their identities. As a result, we were unable to establish if they are Cardiff University students.
“While the encampment has been relatively peaceful, there have been a number of unacceptable incidents. In addition to occupying Horseshoe Drive without consent, members of the encampment have blocked both entrances to Main Building, preventing staff and students from work, study and preparation for exams, occupied rooms in our Glamorgan Building, and accessed the roof.
“The encampment also continued to invite people from outside our community – without University consent – to join them for events.
“These incidents have had an adverse impact on university activities – including research, teaching, and learning – and have caused disruption and distress to members of our university community. The safety, security, and well-being of everyone at our university remains our primary concern. We have a duty to ensure that all staff and students can live, work, and study without fear or distress.
“Following careful consideration, the University issued a Notice to Vacate to the encampment on Friday 16th May. The deadline to leave was ignored and they continued to occupy without permission to do so, in breach of that notice.
“As a result, we were left with little option other than to seek an order for possession and an order for precautionary injunctive relief from the Court which, if granted, will allow us to secure the university campus.
“This was not a decision we took lightly. However, this action is necessary to bring an end to the ongoing disruption. We appreciate that some may disagree with this action and it could be interpreted as curtailing the right to protest and freedom of speech, but this is not the case. This decision is about ensuring the safety of everyone in our university community – including those within the encampment itself – and is similar action to that taken by other universities who have experienced unauthorised encampments.”
A blog by the law firm Shakespeare Matineau details the court’s decision and key takeaways from the ruling.
Featured Image via Instagram @caerdyddstudents4palestine
