Students claim Leeds University plans to use court orders to stop their End Fossil: Occupy! protest

The students say they have been instructed to vacate the Esther Simpson lecture theatre after first taking it over on Monday November 7. A rally was also held outside the theatre on Thursday November 10, with students claiming to have occupied part of the university’s Ziff building as well.

The group behind the action – Student Rebellion Leeds – has been occupying the teaching space as a protest against the university’s dealings with oil, gas and mining companies. Their demands include updating the university policy on responsible investments and cutting off ties with companies that deal with fossil fuels.

Reports suggests that the Earth and Science department at the University of Leeds received £11.2m from oil and gas sector between 2014 and 2019. A statement from Student Rebellion Leeds states: “This funding has no place in our education, the university must commit to ending all ties with fossil fuels.”

While the protests were allowed to continue without further action for several days, those involved now allege that the university management is taking a more hostile approach instead of engaging with them.

One student protestor, who did not want to be identified, said: “The university management have refused to meet us, they haven’t spoken to us once. They have been hostile, they’ve been sending threats, they’ve been going to courts to get injunction and possession orders, they’ve been threatening to expel us. This could be resolved really easily, yet they are deciding to punish us.”

The protestors say that the university has sought an injunction which would make the sit-in illegal and this would lead to possible arrests. The student added: “They have also taken possession orders so they can get private bailiffs to physically carry us from here.”

A spokesperson for the University of Leeds said: “While we are unable to provide a running commentary on the situation, we are mindful of the impact the occupation is having on those of our students whose studies have been negatively impacted by the actions of a small group.

"The University of Leeds has taken a robust approach to tackling climate change, with a Climate Plan that sets out our targets, actions and investments to achieving net zero by 2030. We are proud of our efforts to lead global action and will continue working collaboratively with our staff and students to make a real difference.”

The present occupation by the Student Rebellion Leeds group is one of many being held under the End Fossil: Occupy! banner across Europe. The website for the wider climate justice movement says its supporters plan to occupy hundreds of schools and universities all over the world before the year ends.

It states: “Our goal is to change the system by ending the fossil economy at an international level. Depending on the local context, the demands can vary between end fossil extraction, fossil finance, fossil funding, fossil infrastructures or others.”

The website lists 14 locations in Portugal, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom as being occupied currently, including the University of Leeds and Exeter University.