Pro-Gaza protestors accused of stealing ‘commercial secrets’ from University of Cambridge

Pro-Palestine activists stole sensitive documents from the University of Cambridge when they stormed a building in demonstrations last year, it has been claimed.

During a 15-day occupation of Greenwich House from November 22 to December 6 last year, protestors from the Cambridge for Palestine group allegedly raided locked filing cabinets containing highly sensitive university documents.

The building is one of the university’s main administrative properties and contains commercial secrets relating to the institution.

According to court documents seen by the Telegraph, the university accused activists of engaging in an “apparently intentional search for documents”, entailing “deliberate breaches” of security.

Academic officials warned that the raid “posed a significant threat to the safeguarding of the confidential, commercially sensitive and/or personal information stored at Greenwich House”.

Protestors were able to gain “access to restricted areas of the building, opening locked cabinets and searching through cabinets”, after activating the fire alarm of the building, causing staff to evacuate, the universitt claimed.

The activists then proceeded to blockade the entrances and exits to the property on Madingley Rise, preventing staff from re-entering.

The university has since obtained a legal injunction against people sharing the information obtained through the raid, but there are concerns that the ruling will be broken, reported the Telegraph.

The pro-Palestine activists are believed to have been looking for evidence of contracts linking the university to Israeli arms companies.

Cambridge carried out its own audit of the documents held in the ransacked property in an effort “to try and establish whether they had been inspected or interfered with during the occupation”.

It has also applied to the High Court for a further injunction to stop fuure demonstrations taking place on the university campus, in the hopes of halting extra disruption by Cambridge for Palestine, as well as people “who purport to be students of the university, protesting in relation to the Israel-Palestine conflict and the university’s alleged complicity in the actions of the Israeli Defence Force”.

It comes after more than 1,600 students had their graduation events disrupted by pro-Gaza protestors across the university last year.

Cambridge reported that there was a “real and imminent risk” that pro-Palestine activists were planning to ignite a further wave of demonstrations in the coming weeks, potentially disrupting graduation events for a second year in a row.

The university’s principal administration officer, Emma Rampton, said in a witness statement from February 14 that an urgent injunction was necessary to safeguard the university from the risk of “irreparable harm” caused by further pro-Gaza encampments.

She told the High Court that the university feared pro-Palestine activists planned to disrupt future events, such as a graduation ceremony on March 1 for more than 500 students.

The demonstrations have cost the institution £230,000 so far in legal, security and cleaning fees.

Legal documents seen by the Telegraph show that the university referred itself to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in December over “potential personal data breaches that may have occurred” following the two-week occupation of Greenwich House.

“The university has an annual turnover from research grants in excess of £500 million… The publication or misuse of documents and information stored at Greenwich House and the Old Schools could have serious consequences for the university,” Rampton said.

A spokesman for Cambridge University said: “Last year, the graduation of more than 1,600 students was disrupted by a small group who occupied parts of the university.

“Like other universities, we also recently had an occupation of one of our university buildings, in which occupiers gained access to confidential material about research and staff. We have acted to protect that information.

“We are also seeking a second injunction that will protect the right of our students to graduate and for staff to carry out their work. It does not restrict the important right to legal protest. There are many ways protests can take place and voices can be heard.”

Cambridge for Palestine was approached for comment.