High court allows two UK universities to remove Gaza protest camps

Activists – seen here at Birmingham university in May – were told by the court there were ‘other ways’ to protest. Photograph: Stephen McCorkell/Alamy

Two universities in the UK have been permitted to clear student encampments from their campuses, after a judge said protesters had “no prospect” of showing that their human rights would be affected.

Nottingham and Birmingham universities had sought to remove the student encampments – set up in May to protest Israel’s invasion of Gaza – but faced objections from students that their rights to free speech and assembly would be infringed.