LONDON: Pro-Palestine students have lost their legal battle against the London School of Economics after a court indefinitely barred them from setting up an encampment on campus, .
The students had vowed to remain in a camp they had set up on the ground floor atrium of Marshal Building on May 14 until the LSE met their demands. They were reported to have been there for about a month until the LSE initiated legal action.
On Friday at Central London county court, District Judge Morayo Fagborun-Bennett granted a possession order, indefinitely banning the establishment of encampments at the location.
Another judge granted LSE an interim possession order on June 14, which meant the camp had to be removed within 24 hours. The students disbanded their camp on June 17.
Commenting on behalf of LSE, Olivia Davies said there had been 鈥渘o breaches of the interim order鈥� by the defendants since the interim possession order was granted.
Daniel Grutters, representing three students, said: 鈥淭hose 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.鈥�
During Friday鈥檚 hearing, Davies told the court that no students had faced any disciplinary action over the encampment.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 good to know,鈥� the judge said.
The encampment was set up following the release of the Assets in Apartheid report by the LSE Students鈥� Union Palestine society.
It claims that the LSE has invested 拢89 million ($112.6 million) in 137 companies involved in the conflict in Gaza, fossil fuels, the arms industry or nuclear weapons production.
The entrenched students had said they would remain in their camp until the LSE took several steps, including divestment and democratization of the financial decision-making process.