The pro-Palestine encampment on Trinity lawn was dismantled this morning (02/06), after the College acquired an interim high court injunction against protesters.

Students were notified by College porters of their eviction this morning, with around 10 individuals who were sleeping in tents being removed from the site. The camp was then dismantled by the students, porters, and court bailiffs.

Trinity claims they have acquired the injunction to allow students to “study and take exams without disturbance,” and ensure staff can carry out their work.

The encampment was set up on Friday (30/05) to put pressure on the University to disclose and divest investments in arms companies. The protesters also claimed that Cambridge had blocked “meaningful progress on divestment” in a working group on arms divestment, and adopted “anti-protest” policies against them.

The University previously acquired injunctions against students occupying the Senate House site and Greenwich House – the University’s financial centre. The injunctions were obtained to protect graduations from disruption, along with concerns around the day-to-day functioning of the University.

A spokesperson for the University previously denied that injunctions restrict the right to protest, labelling this allegation “ridiculous”.

Cambridge Uni Staff for Palestine sent an email to supporters stating that Trinity had obtained an interim injunction from the High Court this morning, “ordering protesters to immediately vacate Newton’s Lawn and remove their possessions”. The email stated that the College had begun erecting a fence around the encampment and had “so far refused to let protesters remove their belongings even though they [had] left Trinity’s land”.

Cambridge for Palestine (Cam4Pal), the group responsible for setting up the encampment, claimed on Instagram that Trinity College “forcibly set up barricades,” around the encampment and had “[moved] with unprecedented speed in shamefully intimidating its students and community”.

The group also accused the College of being “quick to intimidate and harass its students and community”.

In 2020, Trinity denounced Extinction Rebellion activists who dug up the College’s front lawn and tied themselves to its commemorative apple tree. The College labelled it “criminal damage” and liaised with the police.

Cam4Pal has asked supporters to “urgently mobilise to the campsite at Trinity College now,” and to contact the College’s Head Porter and Senior Tutor, “condemning their shameful actions and [sharing] our demands”.

The protesters have now moved their encampment to All Saints Market Square, an area opposite Trinity College.

Trinity College has previously faced significant pressure from pro-Palestine activists over its ties to arms companies complicit in the war in Gaza. Last year, the College was served a legal notice over their investments in Elbit Systems, a drone company that supplies over 80% of the Israeli Defence Forces’ drones.

The College then allegedly told students that it planned to divest from all arms companies. However, it was later revealed that the College had not divested from arms companies, with the College’s Master stating that Trinity had “no interest” in divesting.

Following this, Trinity was also referred to the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights over “aiding and abetting international crimes against Palestinians,” due to their exposure to arms companies.

A spokesperson for Trinity College told Varsity that “Trinity College has served an injunction on an encampment set up in front of the College in order to enable our students to study and take exams without disturbance, and staff to carry out their work.”

“The College is fully committed to supporting the right to protest and to freedom of speech within the law,” they continued.