The UK’s SouthBest West’s Best Publication Student Publication The Student 2023
FR
EE
ISSUE 771 11 JUNE 2025 exepose.com @exepose
THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1987
Ban of all forms of occupation on campus The new US refugee policy Page 9
made clear in new university guidelines
Image: Harry Craig
University: In a playlist Page 21
Kayleigh Swart and Emily Sara Rizzo Editors-in-Chief
E
Wallace and Gromit in South Korea Page 26
Images (top to bottom): Heute, Pexels, Melanie M, Flickr
XEPOSÉ has recently been made aware of upcoming changes to the demonstrations and protests guidelines to be implemented by the University, which would entail a number of limitations on student activism. Although the changes have not been made public yet (at the time of writing the University website still outlines the policy from 2024), they have been emailed individually to several student activist groups, such as Exeter Youth Demand and Exeter Liberation Encampment for Palestine. The guidelines have caused an uproar of concerns over some key points which seem to target contentious current events. These include: the University and Guild’s pre-approval of all demonstrations inside university buildings, the ban of megaphones and musical instruments in inside spaces, the approval of all leaflet and poster content being handed
out on campus, and - most alarmingly - an outright ban on all forms of encampment and occupation. Breaches of these rules will lead to disciplinary action for staff and students alike. A spokesperson from the university wanted to highlight that the ban on occupation was not a change from the previous protesting guidelines. However, Exeposé could find no reference to the university’s stance on occupation in their previous protest guidelines. Dubbed “Draconian” by ELE4PAL, the crackdown’s biggest criticism is the lack of transparency and democratic discussion and consultation in making these decisions, as well as the consequences it will trigger for encampments set up in protest of the Palestinian genocide. A year ago, ELE4PAL set up their encampment on the Queen’s Drive green to demand that the University boycott any involvement with Israeli universities and research. This is not an unusual sight nowadays, as protests focused on occupying university grounds are not unique to Exeter, and ELE4PAL are only the latest student group amongst many in the country to partake in protesting this way.
Despite this, the ELE4PAL encampment seems to be the last straw for the university as these changes are brought in. ELE4PAL and Youth Demand both claim that they have been in contact with “key figures at the university, such as the senate, the UCU and student societies, none of which were notified or took part in the decisions to bring these new guidelines in”. In their new policy, the University states that they reserve the rights to “alter the manner, location or timing of the protest if [the protest] is likely to impact the core functions of the university”. The student Guild have reinforced this message in a statement made to Exeposé. A spokesperson said: “The Guild has a long history of supporting student activism — it’s part of who we are. Peaceful protest is a human right, and as your Students’ Guild, we’re here to support you to use your voice to campaign for change and stand up for what you believe in”. After this, they reiterated their legal responsibilities and safeguarding rules that are outlined in the protesting guidelines before saying that “Recent updates to the policy focus on managing noise
levels to help maintain a supportive learning environment for everyone”. In response to this, ELE4PAL criticises the changes as “a crackdown on the student (and staff) voice, aimed at trying to scare us into compliance, so ‘business as usual’ can continue at the university”. Under UK and European law, everyone has the right to protest and be protected by police and law enforcement while doing so. However, protesting on private property is not a protected right, and pursuing legal action is up to the discretion of the owner. As a result of this, the University of Exeter is within their legal rights to limit and decide how campus-based protests take place, even if this works against students’ wishes. This key point is highlighted by the University in both the old and updated versions of the protest guidelines. Continued on page 4