LSE given court order blocking encampments in its building after student protest

Students had previously disbanded the encampment after a judge granted an interim order earlier this month.

Pro Palestine protesters outside the Marshall building at the London School of Economics on June (Jacob Freedland/PA) (PA Wire)

The London School of Economics (LSE) has been granted a court order indefinitely barring encampments in one of its buildings after students slept in its atrium for more than a month in support of Palestine.

Several students set up the camp within the atrium of the ground floor of the Marshall Building in central London on May 14, vowing to remain there until LSE met a series of demands.

LSE began legal action earlier in June, with a judge granting it an interim possession order on June 14, meaning the encampment needed to be disbanded within 24 hours after it was served.

The students removed the encampment on June 17, minutes before the deadline given by the court to disband.

At a short hearing at Central London County Court on Friday, District Judge Morayo Fagborun-Bennett granted a possession order, meaning no encampments can be set up at the same location indefinitely.

They were served with an interim possession order and they vacated in accordance with it. There have been no breaches of the interim order.

Olivia Davies

Olivia Davies, for LSE, said: “The defendants don’t dispute the claimant’s entitlement.”

She continued: “They were served with an interim possession order and they vacated in accordance with it. There have been no breaches of the interim order.”

Daniel Grutters, representing three students, said: “Those instructing me had only opposed the making of the interim possession order. Since that was made, we indicated that we would not defend the possession order.

“We are agreed that the possession order can be made.”

At the end of the hearing, the judge asked whether any students had faced disciplinary action over the encampment.

Ms Davies responded: “Not in relation to the encampment, no.”

The judge replied: “That’s good to know.”

The group set up the encampment after the release of the Assets in Apartheid report by the LSE Students’ Union’s Palestine Society.

The report alleges that LSE has invested £89 million in 137 companies involved in the conflict in Gaza, fossil fuels, the arms industry or nuclear weapons production.

Dozens of students slept in the Marshall Building for more than a month and said they would remain there until LSE took several steps, including divestment and democratisation of the financial decision-making process.