Pro-Palestinian protesters at Birmingham University ‘threatened with police action’

Pro-Palestinian protesters in 40 tents set up at the University of Birmingham claim they have been “threatened with police action”. The group say they were told what they were doing “could be considered criminal” after setting up camp today, Monday 13 May.

Protesters have vowed to stay at the Edgbaston campus despite being warned they could face threats if they don’t stop. Dozens of students from other universities also staged demonstrations in the UK.

Similar camps opposed to the Israeli action in Gaza are emerging in America. But Birmingham students are believed to be the first to be “threatened with legal action”. The protesters said they believe they broke no rules, despite facing possible arrest for the aggravated violation.

READ MORE: ‘My husband stabbed to death in Redditch Asda – still wants gang to rehabilitate and have a decent life’

READ MORE: Man with ‘big red beard’ urged to come forward by police after car boot sale attack

One student, who gave her name only as ‘Robin’, said: ‘We are a peaceful camp and we don’t disturb other students so we will stay put. When we set up, we were told by security what we were doing we might be doing. be considered a criminal and let’s just say they made sure we knew it.

“But there has been no sign that his threat has been carried out so far. We have around 40 tents now so I don’t think they could break us up as there are so many of us. There was only one flash point here involving someone. who said they were hired and took down signs but security was quickly over it and I couldn’t sit back and just be asked to be treated fairly.

Another student, who gave her name only as ‘JJ’, said: ‘So far we have not been threatened with aggravated trespass. We received a letter that was given to us and members of the public to say that they should vacate the camp.

“This is our campus and we intend to be here peacefully and lawfully, and therefore we have had no communication of any violation.
We are here for several reasons. We want it revealed to us, where is our money going? Also, to end research partnerships with Israeli universities that are complicit in genocide.

“As an academic institution, we should stand for principles we teach about, such as decolonization and learning from the past and criticizing ethnic cleansing. However, we support and have research partnerships with genocidal state universities, so we want this to end.

“We want the protection of our rights to peaceful protests. We are an accessible and inclusive camp. We’ve had people from all kinds of different backgrounds, and to smear our intentions with strategic tactics to say that maybe we’re intimidating students or disrupting exams is upsetting and disrespectful. .

“We are students who have exams and we do not want to be here. We want to work with the university without hostility. We are only defending what is right and not to ethnically cleanse the indigenous people from their land.”

Another student, who did not want to be named, added: “We’re not going anywhere. What we do is right and proper. How can we break into our own campus anyway? We pay for the right to be here and our voices deserve to be heard.

“We’re not loud or disruptive, we just stand up for what we believe. We will not leave so easily just because of one letter”.

Stay awake to keep up to date with the latest news from Birmingham or the West Midlands or your neighborhood with our Birmingham news Email updates sent directly to your inbox