Imperial sent us the following statement on the encampment established today on Queen’s Lawn:

The impact of recent and ongoing events in the Middle East remains deep and far reaching.

Members of our community have been and will be directly affected by the Israel-Gaza crisis. These events understandably arouse strong feelings.

You may have seen that a small number of unauthorised tents have been placed on the Dangoor Plaza on our South Kensington campus.

We are committed to freedom of speech and freedom of debate and will take all reasonable steps to ensure that members of our community can express their views safely and lawfully on our campuses. 

At the same time, we must all consider the impact of the manner in which those views are expressed on other members of our community. 

The safety and wellbeing of our community of students and staff is our top priority. 

Our campuses must be a place where free debate and protest can take place while, at the same time, being an environment where our staff and students can carry out their work and studies safely and without significant disruption or intimidation. 

Imperial will continue to take a stand against all forms of racist or hateful behaviour, including antisemitism and Islamophobia. Any incidents will be taken extremely seriously. Any protest that becomes hateful, unlawful or constitutes harassment or bullying will not be tolerated.

As an institution of higher education, Imperial provides an open forum for debate on and exploration of all topics, in which everyone can participate in a respectful manner within the law. This will continue. 

Delivering ongoing commentary on geopolitical events would make it difficult to realise this role. 

We recognise the impact that such events have on our community. Please note that you can access our wellbeing services for staff and students, including our Chaplaincy Multi-Faith Centre and our Confidential Care line which offers 24/7support and counselling for staff. Beyond Imperial’s own community, organisations like TellMama or the CST can provide specialist support.

 Anyone who feels that they have encountered harassing speech or behaviour is encouraged to use our Report and Support tool, to ensure we can take any necessary action.

Please continue to show support and compassion for colleagues and students across the university in response to this distressing and complex situation. 

Imperial must stand as one community and show understanding and care for each other.

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