A Freedom of Information (FOI) request obtained by The King’s Tab can exclusively reveal how much the university spent on security during the May 2025 pro-Palestine encampment.
The university spent a total of £49,722 on security during the pro-Palestine encampment on Strand Campus, with the entire amount incurred in just one month (May 2025).
During the encampment, which lasted for just 16 days, KCLStands4Justice held “teach ins” where students and staff alike joined together. However, they also accused university security and management of attempting to disrupt the protest by conducting night-time raids on the camp, waking students up, and denying them access to on-campus toilet facilities.
Despite the encampments short duration, the total cost of £49,722 marks an increase of 88.9 per cent from the previous years encampment, where the university spent a much lower sum of £26,317 in May 2024.
This increased monthly spending comes at a time when the university is already experiencing financial struggles, reporting a £19m daily operating deficit.
A spokesperson for King’s College London said: “The safety of our community was our absolute priority throughout the encampment.
“We employed additional security because the protest operated outside of normal hours and our policy, creating a safety risk by remaining on campus after it was closed and a potential risk had emergency evacuation been required.
“To fulfil our health and safety obligations, nighttime checks of the tents were essential to enable security staff to account for everyone on site in the event of an emergency, like a fire. As campus closes at 10pm, access to buildings and toilets were not permitted overnight.
“Freedom of speech for students and staff is a fundamental right, and we support the right to protest within our policy and normal operating hours.”
Featured image via KCLStands4Justice
