Last November following a peaceful sit-in in an unused gate house at the University of Birmingham  https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/birmingham/2011/11/489089.html, university management acquired a draconian injunction banning all "occupational protest action" for twelve months.  https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/birmingham/2011/12/489960.html?c=on#c276745 The injunction was condemned by Amnesty International and others.

Students are campaigning to get this injunction lifted and are calling on all concerned peoples to rally at 1pm at the Clocktower on the 22nd of February to increase pressure on the university to drop this flagrant attack on democratic rights.

The injunction states: "The defendants shall not, without the prior written consent of the claimant, [Birmingham University] enter or remain upon land comprising the claimant's campus and buildings at the University of Birmingham … for the purpose of any occupational protest action."

Public Interest Lawyers acting on behalf of the students are seeking to overturn the high court injunction and fear the terms of the injunction could potentially criminalise any protest in which participants remain in any location for any period of time.

Tessa Gregory, a solicitor at the firm, quoted in the Guardian said the injunction "criminalised legitimate protest" and was "completely at odds with the university's duty to respect and protect students' right to freedom of expression and association".

The university's approach had been "needlessly aggressive", and "draconian", and served to intimidate students.

"Universities should be at the forefront of ensuring the right to protest is protected, not responsible for the criminalisation of its students, who wish to raise serious concerns of public importance," she said.