Student protesters have accused the London School of Economics (LSE) of a ¡°disproportionate and hostile response¡± to their Gaza demonstration, after it emerged that senior management at the institution called them ¡°children having a temper tantrum¡± and said they were ¡°dressed as terrorists¡±.

Seven LSE students were banned from the school¡¯s central London campus after taking part in a protest last year which called for LSE to divest from companies accused of aiding human rights abuses against Palestinians.

The university said it took the action after ¡°multiple complaints from staff¡± that the protests involved behaviour that ¡°intimidated and frightened people¡±.

The date of the action, 7 July, the anniversary of the London bombings in 2005, was said to be particularly intimidating for bystanders, with some of the students covering their faces with masks.

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But lawyers acting on behalf of the group ¨C dubbed the ¡°LSE seven¡± ¨C said the treatment of the students had forced several of them to defer their studies after experiencing isolation, extreme stress and negative health impacts.

As part of the investigation, emails written by LSE president Larry Kramer have emerged in which he said the university should ¡°expel¡± anyone identified in connection with the incident.

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¡±This is several steps beyond anything that could ever be characterized as legitimate protest. It is a temper tantrum by children who are angry because they are not getting their way,¡± he writes in the note, seen by Times Higher Education.

¡±It has nothing to do with the Israel-Gaza situation, which has become nothing more than an excuse for acting out.¡±

In other emails, another senior figure within the university claimed the protesters were ¡°dressed as terrorists¡± because they were wearing balaclavas.

Following the protests, the university imposed several sanctions on those involved including banning them from most of the campus and other restrictions on their academic and social activities.

Leigh Day ¨C one of the firms representing the protesters ¨C sent a letter to the university in December after which it lifted several of the sanctions and issued formal warnings to six of the students, which are currently being appealed.?Complaints against the final member of the group were dismissed.

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The group claim this proves that the measures imposed on them were unwarranted and that LSE breached their rights.

They are calling on LSE to apologise, engage meaningfully with the issues raised by their protest, as well as guaranteeing the protection of protest rights on campus, Leigh Day said.

Sarah Crowe, human rights solicitor at Leigh Day, said the students had exercised their legitimate rights to freedom of expression and peaceful protest.

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¡°We believe that LSE¡¯s response to this peaceful protest ¨C including drawing unfounded comparisons to terrorism ¨C is not only an attack on our clients¡¯ rights but also risks having a chilling effect on campus activism more broadly, especially in relation to Palestine. Universities are places where ideas should be debated, not silenced.¡±

Student demonstrations in support of Gaza?have led to clashes with universities since the conflict began following the 7 October Hamas attacks on Israel.

The University of Cambridge was last week granted a court injunction preventing some protests during this year¡¯s graduation season, while a number of students at the University of Glasgow have recently begun a hunger strike,?

The LSE spokesperson said that the action against the students ¡°was initiated after we received multiple complaints from staff...that the protesters, with covered faces, physically obstructed their work and efforts; used loud megaphones in an enclosed inside space; shouted in people¡¯s faces; and behaved in a manner that intimidated and frightened people¡±.

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"We could not responsibly ignore these complaints and allegations, which required us to initiate an investigation and disciplinary proceedings, even if some who were present may not have been upset or may have a different perspective. The investigation into this incident followed our processes correctly.¡±

patrick.jack@timeshighereducation.com