Protest activity across higher education has become more frequent and visible. High-profile incidents have demonstrated how quickly situations can escalate, bringing safety, operational and reputational risks into sharp focus. For risk and operational leaders, the challenge is enabling lawful protest while maintaining safe and functional campus environments. Achieving this balance is essential to maintaining trust across staff, students and wider stakeholders.
Why protest risk is different in higher education
Higher education presents a unique operating environment. Campuses are typically open, diverse and densely populated, with a strong culture of debate and activism. Consequently, protest activity can range from petitions and vigils through to occupations, marches and industrial action.
Some protests present more complex challenges, particularly where access to buildings is restricted, emergency routes are obstructed, external groups become involved or social media amplifies tensions. A one-size-fits-all approach is rarely effective. Institutions should instead assess each situation dynamically and ensure their response remains proportionate to the level of risk.
Start with planning, not reaction
Experience consistently shows that preparation is more effective than reaction. Universities should establish a clear and well-communicated approach to managing protest activity. Expectations regarding behaviour should be clearly defined, while making it clear that harassment, intimidation and unsafe conduct will not be tolerated.
Practical preparation includes defining responsibilities and escalation routes, undertaking proportionate risk assessments, briefing security, welfare and communications teams, and maintaining clear records of decisions and actions. Staff confidence is equally important. Those involved in managing protests should understand both their role and the limits of their authority, particularly where situations begin to escalate.
Institutions should also consider the business continuity implications of protest activity. While many events can be managed routinely, others may disrupt access to buildings, examinations, research activities or student services. Planning for these scenarios in advance can significantly reduce operational disruption.
Don't manage protests alone
Strong partnerships are essential to effective protest management. Students’ Unions often play an important role and can support early engagement with organisers, helping to establish expectations and reduce the likelihood of escalation.
External relationships are equally valuable. Regular engagement with the police, local authorities and other partners can help ensure responses remain coordinated and proportionate. Institutions should establish communication protocols, discuss arrangements for higher-risk events and periodically test their readiness through exercises. Where relationships are established before an incident occurs, responses are generally more effective and less confrontational.
Communication can make or break an event
Poor communication is often a contributing factor when situations escalate. Clear, timely and neutral messaging can help manage expectations and reduce uncertainty. Before a protest, organisers should receive clear guidance on expectations and safety requirements. During an event, communications should remain factual and carefully worded.
Social media presents additional challenges, as rapidly evolving narratives can quickly amplify issues. Institutions should ensure messaging remains consistent across internal teams and external partners, that communications are factual and unbiased, and that arrangements are in place to monitor and respond to misinformation where appropriate. Effective communication can significantly reduce the likelihood of escalation.
Managing the live environment
Once a protest is underway, the priority becomes maintaining safety and minimising disruption without unnecessarily escalating tensions. A visible, calm and proportionate staff presence can provide reassurance and help maintain control, while de-escalation should remain the default approach.
Institutions should focus on keeping emergency access routes clear, monitoring crowd behaviour and potential escalation triggers, providing welfare support where required and maintaining an accurate record of key decisions. If disruption begins to affect critical services, business continuity arrangements may need to be activated. Alternative teaching locations, online delivery and revised examination arrangements can help maintain operational resilience while supporting a proportionate response.
Clear thresholds should also exist for when external support, including police involvement, may be necessary. Any intervention should be demonstrably justified and proportionate to the circumstances.
Key considerations for managing protest risk
Effective protest management begins with early engagement and clear expectations. Institutions should avoid applying the same response to every protest and instead scale their approach according to the nature and potential impact of the activity. Roles, responsibilities and escalation routes should be understood in advance, while communications should remain consistent and impartial throughout.
Equally important is organisational learning. Capturing decisions, reviewing outcomes and identifying lessons learned can help strengthen future preparedness and improve response arrangements over time.
What should institutions be doing now?
A useful starting point is to review existing arrangements and assess whether they remain fit for purpose. Institutions should consider whether protest-related policies are clear, accessible and understood, and whether escalation routes and decision-making processes are sufficiently defined and tested.
Universities should also assess the strength of relationships with Students’ Unions, police and local authority partners, review communication arrangements for high-profile events and ensure business continuity implications have been adequately considered. Lessons from previous incidents should be routinely captured, reviewed and used to improve future planning.
Even relatively small improvements can significantly reduce both the likelihood and impact of escalation.
Final thought
Protests will always form part of university life and, when managed effectively, reflect a healthy culture of debate and engagement. However, if poorly handled, they can quickly become a source of operational, safety and reputational risk.
The institutions best placed to respond are not those with the most restrictive controls, but those with the most proportionate, well-planned and collaborative approach. By integrating protest management with broader risk management and business continuity arrangements, universities can support freedom of expression while protecting the continuity of their core activities.
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