Warwick University revokes campus protest injunction

Warwick’s Student Union announced yesterday that the University has lifted a legal injunction which banned occupation-style protest on campus. This follows a long campaign and a series of successful student actions led by Warwick for Free Education.

The injunction was put in place after a series of protests which occurred in December 2014. The demonstrations commenced with a week long occupation of the Rootes building, escalating to the outbreak of violence at Senate House and the subsequent arrest of three students. This caused outrage amongst hundreds of students on campus who sought to protest against the police brutality which was witnessed during these events.

The Sabbatical team reiterated their “firm opposition to its existence in the first place.” Adding that, “while we welcome the new administration’s commitment to a renewed dialogue between management and students, it is equally important to note that the right to protest on campus should be a given which is protected for all students at all times. The SU continues to stand in solidarity with those students affected by the events of that day, and recognises that there are individuals for whom this moment represents a particularly hard-won victory.”

The revoking of the injunction is certainly a step in the right direction for the university, as it had recently been given a red ranking for freedom of speech by Spiked Magazine for the third year running. The magazine claimed that Warwick University has “banned and actively censored” ideas on campus.