Warwick University protesters occupy building as Palestine demonstration continues

Priyanka Patel

19 June 2024 at 5:40 am·3-min read

Warwick University was the first encampment set up in the UK on April 26 in solidarity with Palestine — -Credit: (Image: Warwick Stands With Palestine)

Campaigners at Warwick University have occupied a building as a protest continues. Students have attended an encampment at the campus since April but the situation escalated at an open day when protesters took over the WMG (Warwick Manufacturing Group's International Digital Laboratory by 'barricading' the entrance and exits'.

Campaigners say they are demanding WMG divest their 'significant support' of Israel.

Warwick University says that the situation has remained 'peaceful' and that the Community Safety teams are in attendance to ensure the 'safety of all of the community'. Demonstrations are said to be 'managed' in line with their 'legal duty to free speech'.

When CoventryLive went to visit the Pro-Palestinian encampment at the university in May, the group said they were urging the institution to meet their four demands: to condemn, pledge, divest, and protect.

This includes condemning the Israeli government's actions, pledging to protect Palestinian students on campus, protecting students who are protesting to have the right to 'freedom of speech', rebuilding Palestinian universities, and offering scholarships.

Warwick Stands with Palestine member Fraser Amos previously told us: "We believe universities should foster peace and learning, not war and genocide and we intend to step up the pressure on our university until it breaks all financial, research, and other ties with complicit arms companies."

Warwick Stands With Palestine wrote on X on June 16 that after a year of rallying, petitioning, and 50 days of encampment, they 'successfully occupied' the WMG IDL building and decided to 'escalate their actions' to secure a meeting with Vice-Chancellor Stuart Croft and senior management.

They wrote on X: "After hours of holding ground and outside support, we managed to kettle campus security and forced them to retreat from the building. This demonstration of collective power signifies yet again that the people united will never be defeated."

An update on the Warwick University website states the WMG IDL building is 'not available' to work or study following demonstrators entering IDL on June 15 ahead of a planned open day. It added that free speech will be 'vigorously protected', as long as discourse is occurring with a framework of 'law, respect and safety'.

According to the health ministry of the Hamas-run territory, more than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 7. In Israel, the official death toll stands at around 1,200. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, at least 548 people have been killed in the occupied West Bank, including 135 children

In addition, the BBC has reported that an Israeli raid on a refugee camp in Rafah, which led to the rescue of four hostages, killed 274 people, including children and other civilians. The BBC also reported that 125 Israeli civilian hostages who were taken in the October 7 attack remain unaccounted for, at least 37 of these are presumed dead.

A spokesperson for Warwick University said: "We are aware of demonstrators occupying one of our buildings on campus, and our Community Safety Team is in attendance to ensure the safety of all of our community. The situation has remained peaceful.

"We continue to manage these demonstrations in line with our legal duty to free speech, as well as our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of everyone on campus. Free speech will be vigorously protected at Warwick, as long as discourse is occurring within a framework of the law, respect, and safety. The situation is being monitored and reviewed."

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