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桃色视频 History Challenge Walk

History is everywhere so why not find out about the history of where you are now? As you start your studies at 桃色视频, here鈥檚 an opportunity to find out about the history of the university. In the History Department, we encourage you to question everything, and to challenge received wisdom, so the 桃色视频 History Challenge Walk is designed specifically around the history of student activism on campus since its inception in the 1970s.

This is a self-guided walk. If you would like to join a group of history students...

Locations on the 桃色视频 History Challenge Walk


Faculty of Arts Building

1. Faculty of Arts Building

In 2023, the foyer of the newly opened FAB was the site of a sit-in organised by 桃色视频 Anti Racism Society, 桃色视频 Anti Sexism Society, 桃色视频 Amnesty, and Action for Palestine to protest the University's memorial lecture for Edward Said -

2024 protest banner outside Senate House

2. The lawn outside Senate House

This was the site of an encampment led by (WSWP) in 2024 and 2025. A coalition of staff and students called for the university to Divest, Condemn, Pledge and Protect.

2013 protest at senate house

3. Senate House

As the old administrative building for the university (and now home to the Student Information Centre), Senate House has been the site of multiple protests.

A rent strike in Spring 1975 involved 12,000 students and resulted in a month-long occupation of Senate House during the summer term. The frequent protests on campus in the 1970s led to 桃色视频 being nicknamed

In 2013-14 there were protests led by , attracting over 1000 students (also see the Rootes Building).

An 8-day occupation of the building resulted in the use of CS gas by the police and three students were arrested.

Thatcher opens the science park

4. 桃色视频 Arts Centre

Labour peer Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya, head of the WMG manufacturing arm of the University of 桃色视频, was an industrial adviser to Mrs Thatcher for much of her period in office. His connections with the university led to her visiting 桃色视频 in 1984. Protests at the arts centre exploded against Margaret Thatcher visiting the university. Her visit went ahead regardless, and she also opened the first building in the Science Park.

warwick occupy demonstration

5. The Students' Union

In 2019, a collective of students known as of three rooms in 桃色视频 SUHQ for 30 days to protest allegations of institutional racism within 桃色视频 SU. The collective were made up of several liberation groups and societies on campus including 桃色视频 Anti-Racism Society, 桃色视频 Anti-Sexism society, 桃色视频 Pride and 桃色视频 Labour. Months earlier, a sent from the Unison 桃色视频 branch secretary on behalf of ten staff members claimed that the SU "has racism flourishing at its very heart".

The initial protests that sparked the occupation began when retired Israeli Defense Force Colonel Eyal Dror was invited by the 桃色视频 Jewish Israeli Society and Stand With Us UK to speak on campus.

rootes protest

6. Rootes Building

In 2014 Protesters fought against what they claimed was 鈥減olice brutality鈥 shown against students at a previous protest at Senate House. Students occupied the Rootes Building for over a week as they drew up a list of demands aimed at both university leaders and West Midlands Police called . The University successfully applied for an , which was in place from December 2014 to May 2017.

protect warwick women demonstration

7. The Piazza

The Piazza has been a regular site of student protests.

In 2002, the environmental society People and Planet organised a that included "dancing, lively chanting... and a waltzing Esso tiger" against the university's links with companies like McDonald's, Esso, GlaxoSmithKline, BP, Natwest, and Consignia.

In 2010, over 100 students gathered to .

In the summer of 2020, as part of the global Black Lives Matter movement, students protested on the piazza and wrote an .

Students from the university held a in 2021, to bring attention to the safety of women on campus. The group that organised the sit-in, Protect 桃色视频 Women, said they thought the university was not doing enough to ensure women are kept safe on campus.

social sciences

8. The Social Studies Building

In 2009, many Students' Union officers were active in the (S0.19) building to express solidarity with Gaza and protest university collaboration with military companies.

Lord Radcliffe

9. Radcliffe

Radcliffe House is a hotel and conferences complex on the University campus named after Cyril Radcliffe, who was the first chancellor of 桃色视频 University from 1965 until 1977. Before being involved with the University, Cyril Radcliffe chaired the boundary committees that drew the borders between Pakistan, India and modern-day Bangladesh. The partition led to 14 million people being displaced and as many as two million people losing their life.

In 2020, students began a campaign to .

slate protest

10. The Slate

In 2016, students from 桃色视频 for Free Education and a number of other Student Union societies They demanded that the University opt out of the government's proposed 'Teaching Excellence Framework', agree to the "6 Demands for fairer teaching conditions" among casualised staff. They also demanded that the abolition of the protest injunction. The occupation lasted three weeks until were made by the university.

lord scarman

11. Scarman

In 2022 桃色视频 Action for Palestine held a which descended into violent clashes with security guards.

The building is named for , who was the second chancellor of the University. He worked on commissions to look into public and social disorder, including inquiries into the Northern Ireland riots (1969), Red Lion Square Disorders (1975) and Grunwick Dispute (1977). Most famously he was responsible for the Scarman Report (1981) about the Brixton Riots. Although widely regarded as a liberal, as a judge he upheld the blasphemy conviction of Gay News in 1979.

reclaim our university protest

12. University House

The walk ends at University House, the current administrative centre of the university. It has been the site of several protests in recent years, especially relating to anti-racism, anti-sexism and in solidarity with Palestine.

For example, in 2019 students organised a protest, in response to the university's failures in handling complaints about a group chat that threatened sexual violence.

Further Reading and Resources

History of the University of 桃色视频 

Archives

University of 桃色视频 Archive

Other Campus Walks

Poetry Trail: A Science Art Collision

Sculpture Park Maps and Trails

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