Student leaders, academics, campaign groups and an MP have criticised what they believe is an attack on the right to protest on campus after a wave of university occupations.

Sit-ins and demonstrations at nine universities last week led to numerous arrests and student suspensions, with the University of London obtaining an injunction to ban further ¡°occupational protests¡± on and around its Bloomsbury campus.

However, many have questioned whether the crackdown is proportionate and have criticised the violent break-up of the London sit-in.

Rachel Wenstone, vice-president of the National Union of Students, said she was ¡°appalled¡± by the handling of student protests in Sussex and London. Calling for an inquiry into allegations of police brutality in London, she said university occupations were ¡°legitimate tactics¡±, while legal orders banning them were ¡°disproportionate and draconian¡±.

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Tabling an early day motion in the Commons, John McDonnell MP said students were being ¡°persecuted¡±, and all protests that took place had been ¡°peaceful¡±. ¡°Suspending students for an occupation is not acceptable,¡± he said.

Students were being met with ¡°real intimidation¡± when protesting, and video footage of police action in London appeared to show ¡°real violence¡±, he added. But Chris Cobb, chief operating officer at London, said action was needed after the ¡°violent and intimidating behaviour¡± of protesters, while police say arrests followed breaches of the peace.

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The suspension of five Sussex students involved in the sit-in was lifted on 9 December after more than 9,000 people signed a petition expressing no confidence in the executive group of the university¡¯s vice-chancellor Michael Farthing. But the students still face disciplinary action over the occupation, which Sussex says posed ¡°a threat to the safety and well-being of students, staff and visitors¡±.

The petition, organised by the university¡¯s student union, called on all students to join a day of action on 10 December. A separate letter signed by 30 professors from the universities of Sussex and Brighton has also condemned the ¡°attempt to criminalise¡± students for their activism.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com