Students and members of staff across the University of Cambridge have signed an open letter to the vice-chancellor calling for the withdrawal of an application for an injunction which would prohibit pro-Palestine protesters from entering, occupying or interfering with access to key University sites.

If the application for the injunction is successful, protesters will be forbidden from entering or occupying Senate House and its lawn, the Old Schools, and Greenwich House “for a purpose connected with the Palestine-Israel conflict”.

The letter addressed to Dr Deborah Prentice, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, has been drafted by current members of Regent House and students of the University.

The open letter expresses concerns over the University’s application to the High Court for an injunction, dubbing the University’s actions as “an assault on freedom of expression,” and the “the creation of special repressive powers”.

The statement also claims that the application for an injunction “runs contrary to the collective rights and interests of the University community as a whole to debate, assemble and protest in order to hold those in authority to account”.

It goes on to accuse the University of being “inherently discriminatory and unfair,” adding that the injunction, if approved, would affect Palestinian and pro-Palestinian students and staff the most.

Dubbing the application for an injunction as an “authoritarian reflex,” the letter requested that it be withdrawn in order to “reaffirm the University’s commitment to protect the freedom of speech and assembly of its members”.

A spokesperson for the University previously told Varsity: “Any claim that the University is trying to restrict protest is ridiculous. There are many ways protests can take place and voices can be heard, but the actions we are taking will protect the right of other members of our community to graduate and for staff to carry out their work.”

The University told the High Court that if occupations were to continue, the “irreparable harm” done to Cambridge and its stakeholders “cannot be adequately compensated in money”. Last year’s occupations of Senate House lawn and Greenwich House cost Cambridge University “at least £230,000” according to a sworn statement by the University’s registrary, Emma Rampton.

The Cambridge branch of the University and College Union (CUCU) also passed a resolution condemning the use of injunctions by the University. A motion – titled “Defend the right to protest” – was passed unanimously at a CUCU emergency general meeting earlier this month (11/2).

In a notice posted on the UCU website last week (19/2), the branch said that the use of injunctions by Universities to restrict protests and occupations is “a serious threat to freedom of assembly and expression,” adding that “disruptive protest plays a critical role in advancing and protecting democratic rights”.

The notice also stated that the branch is currently working on a campaign to corroborate with students and other campus unions to go against the University’s “attempts to suppress protest rights”.

As of 9pm yesterday (23/2), the open letter has been signed by 110 current members of staff, 315 students, and 92 alumni, with the initial set of signatures due to be sent to the vice-chancellor’s office at Old Schools tomorrow (25/2).