Update on ongoing protests

17 May 2024

A message from Patrick Hackett

Dear colleagues,

Ahead of the weekend, I wanted to provide you with an update on the ongoing student tent encampment in Brunswick Park and associated escalation in protests.

Yesterday a small group of people carried out a loud and disruptive protest in Engineering Building A (MECD) where many students were studying and taking an exam, which led to some students raising concerns with staff. There have been further incidents today, disrupting staff in Kilburn Building and University Place. Protesters refused to vacate the building until GMP arrived.

At each incident, Campus Support and Security were in attendance. We have subsequently issued a message to all students, with details of this and other incidents.

I’m aware that this type of disruptive activity has been going on for some time and I thank you for your ongoing understanding and patience. Please be assured that I am meeting with colleagues across a wide range of areas on a regular basis to ensure everyone’s safety and to mitigate the impact of the disruption.

Yesterday we published our response on behalf of SLT to an open letter received via our Students’ Union which sets out our position on this matter. While I do not expect everyone to agree with this, I hope you will take the time to read it.

In practical terms, our advice continues to be to take sensible precautions such as clearing away confidential information, and being aware of who is behind you if entering restricted areas.

We also have extensive support and safety services for both staff and students, which we have outlined in previous messages.

Patrick Hackett  

Registrar, Secretary and Chief Operating Officer.