King’s College London have, today, released a university wide statement regarding the ‘complaints’ on alleged security bans which took place earlier in the week upon the Queen’s visit to Bush House.
The email addressed to King’s ‘staff and students’ was penned by the Vice Principal for Education, Professor Nicola Philips, and serves as the latest update in what has become a College-wide discussion.
Students, including members of action groups such as Justice for Cleaners and KCL Action Palestine, took to Twitter earlier in the week to speak of experiences of being blocked from entering King’s campuses on the day that the Queen and the Duchess of Cambridge visited Bush House for the College’s grand opening.
https://www.facebook.com/MiddleEastEye/videos/2096071847172572/
In the email, Professor Philips spoke of King’s pride ‘in our diverse community’, stating that Bush House was a reflection of ‘bringing together interdisciplinary research and education in one place.’
Professor Philips did, however, note the ‘complaints about arrangements for the Bush House opening, particularly those relating to access to buildings, were managed during the event.’
As a result of the complaints raised, she stated, Dr Ian Tebbett, Senior Vice President for Operations is set to commission ‘a full and independent review of the arrangements to assess the processes that were followed.’
On the 19th March, King’s released a short statement via their official Twitter page, stating that movement throughout King’s buildings was minimised due to ‘security reasons’.
The email from Professor Philips also comes after a rally took place outside of Strand Campus, demanding answers on the allegations of student surveillance and access blocking.
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