The University of Sheffield has secured a possession order from the courts forcing the student-led occupation of five key campus buildings to end.
This is the same method used by the University to evict student protesters in previous years.
University of Sheffield Rent Strike, a student-led protest group not affiliated with the University, said on Twitter: “The Uni has decided the only way to address our peaceful protest is to clear us out using the courts. We desperately want to continue our protest in support of the UCU and Archaeology.
“However, the threat now posed of violent eviction by bailiffs means that this simply isn’t safe.”
On Friday evening, protests ended at four of the five buildings occupied by the group. Only Jessop West, the first building to be occupied, continues to hold protesters inside.
In a following tweet, @rentstrikeUoS said they will remain in the building until served with an eviction order.
The occupations were made in support of the strikes by the University and Colleges Union (UCU), and demanded the Department of Archaeology is not closed by the University.
The account continues to accuse the university of failing to return all the possessions of students who occupied the Hicks Building after an afternoon-long dispute yesterday.
Students were forced to provide ID in order to retrieve personal items locked in a room students were sleeping in after security reportedly claimed it was lost property.
The University of Sheffield has been approached for comment on the situation.
