High Court judge Mr Justice Butcher has defended a year-long injunction from 23rd July against pro-Palestine protests at Senate House and Yard, the Old Schools, and Greenwich House.

This order was shorter than the University’s proposed five-year ban but extended an earlier measure to prevent disruption at graduation ceremonies. This would have otherwise expired on 26th July.

The University argued that three disrupted ceremonies justified banning access to and protests on its land without permission. Mr Justice Butcher has stated the protestors promised they would “not stop”.

He described the campaign as “spearheaded by a well-organised group,” affiliated with the group Cambridge for Palestine (C4P). C4P argue they are a “student-led coalition standing against Cambridge University’s complicity in apartheid and genocide”.

He added that protesters had been “entering, occupying and remaining,” on University land, erecting tents and blocking access. 

Mr Butcher ruled the risk of future “torts” – civil wrongs – was “real and imminent,” despite the protests being linked to “very important issues”.

The judge added that police powers would not be “nearly as effective” in securing the University’s “legitimate aims of protecting” its land rights.

Rights to free speech and assembly did not give an “unqualified right” to choose where and how to protest, explained Mr Butcher.

He noted the ruling did not prevent protests from happening elsewhere in Cambridge.

The decision drew criticism from human rights groups. Anna Ost, Senior Legal Officer at the European Legal Support Centre, said: “The extent of the 5-year injunction the University originally asked for demonstrated that they were seeking to restrict protests, which called out the University’s complicity in enabling genocide.

“Instead of acting urgently to review their investments, the University has stalled and sought to silence their critics with this injunction,” she continued.