Palestine: Sheffield University to force out protest campsite if courts grant eviction notice, campaigners say

In a release, the Sheffield Campus Coalition for Palestine (SCCP) states that on July 8, 2024, the University of Sheffield served the group with official notice of a possession claim hearing.

The hearing is reportedly scheduled for Monday, July 15, 2024, and, if granted, would give the university the powers to evict the encampment with the assistance of bailiffs.

One member of the student encampment said: “The university is deathly afraid of the financial and reputational pressure we have been applying. They have wasted tens of thousands of pounds on pointless private security, and countless hours attempting to repress us and silence us.”

The SCCP have camping outside the Students’ Union building since May 1, 2024, with a number of demands including that Sheffield University “severs its ties with over 21 arms manufacturers” and “boycotts Israeli companies and institutions”.

On October 7, 2023, 767 Israeli civilians, including 38 children, were killed in a coordinated attack by the group Hamas. Ever since, Israel has led an assault on Gaza to retaliate against the group, which has subsequently resulted in the deaths of more than 38,000 Palestinians, most of which were civilians.

The SCCP has outlined how products from companies in the arms trade, such as BAE Systems, are used by the Israeli Defence Forces. It has demanded Sheffield University cuts ties with the industry.

Another member of the SCCP encampment said: “This attempt at eviction makes it clear that the University is prioritising its profits over basic morality, and ignoring the voices of its students and staff. No matter what happens in court, we will continue to fight for our demands loudly and persistently.”

Should the courts grant Sheffield University’s legal notice, eviction could be enforced as soon as Tuesday, July 16, 2024. The SCCP has called for supporters to rally outside the Sheffield Law Courts on the day to support the protestors.

A spokesperson for the University of Sheffield said: “The camp has been outside of our Students’ Union building since 1 May and is raising a number of health and safety concerns, as well as causing ongoing disruption to university activities and our community. As a result, we have initiated legal action, with the aim of drawing the camp to a close.”

The university added the camp has been allowed to stay on campus for a significant period of time in the interests of freedom of speech, despite the protestors “not having permission for the camp, trespassing and causing disruption to university activities”.

Additionally, the university said whilst the protest has “largely been peaceful”, they had received reports of “inappropriate language and graffiti, disruption to university events and damage to university buildings, as well as misleading AI-generated audio and footage of our staff and students used without their permission”.

The education provider also said it would not be able to sustain “practical support” for the camp over the summer period and had therefore initiated legel proceedings.

Similar possession orders have been granted for other universities across the country facing similar protests including the University of Birmingham, Queen Mary’s University London and the University of Oxford.

Ten days ago, the independent MP Jeremy Corbyn expressed his solidarity with the SCCP’s encampment.

In a video, he said: “Solidarity with all of you. You’re speaking out for peace, for justice and for humanity. Well done.”

Heaven 17 member and founder of the Human League, Martyn Ware, has also expressed his support for the protesters on social media.