The University of Cambridge is exploring legal options to limit areas for student occupations, according to a statement published on 3 February.

In a statement by Ms Emma Rampton on behalf of the University Registry, the University is “currently exploring legal options that will protect certain limited areas of the University, including the Senate House and Senate House Yard.”

This comes after the “graduation of more than 500 students was disrupted” by the Pro-Palestinian occupation late last year.

Rampton commented that this occupation affected graduating students and placed “stress on the University and College staff involved in the organising and running the Congregation ceremonies”.

After this event, the university received complaints from Colleges, students and guests.

The statement also named the “occupation of one of our University buildings”, where “occupiers gained access to confidential material about research and staff”, as another reason for exploring legal action.

These limited areas will be protected under this new legal action so that in the case of future occupations, the University “can hold the Congregations that our students and their families expect.”

Rampton still stressed the University’s recognition of the importance of “freedom of speech within the law” and the “right of peaceful protest within the law”.

In effect, this new legal action means that “where laws and/or University regulations are broken, each case must be handled fairly and responsibly through established University procedures.”

At this moment it is still unclear what form of legal punishment those breaking University regulations would face.

Last term, students occupied Senate House Lawn and Greenwich House, the University’s financial centre, after C4P alleged that the University was “breaking its agreement” on arms divestment negotiations.

C4P previously occupied King’s Parade and Senate House lawn, calling on the University to cut ties with arms companies associated with the war in Gaza.

The protesters occupied the site outside King’s Parade for 100 days, before reaching an agreement with the University to establish a working group to review the University’s arms investments.

The University has also seen multiple occupations of its sites by other activist groups. In 2018, 25 students occupied Greenwich house in an attempt pressure the University into cutting ties with fossil fuels investments.

Students have also targeted non-University buildings, with activists staging a “die-in” protest in Cambridge’s Barclays branch in a protest against the bank’s investments in arms and fossil fuels industries.

A spokesperson from the University of Cambridge, said: “This action does not restrict the important right to legal protest. There are many ways protests can take place and voices heard, but it does protect the right of other members of our community to graduate and for staff to carry out their work.”