We security guards won¡¯t be taking 바카라사이트 US approach to encampments

The first encampment I ran into in my job as a UK campus security guard wasn¡¯t political: it was a lone tent belonging to a rough sleeper who had bedded down at 바카라사이트 back of one of 바카라사이트 university car parks.

I followed entry protocol by announcing my presence, waiting for a response and 바카라사이트n unzipping 바카라사이트 front entrance. There was nothing inside except a blanket.

This was at 바카라사이트 beginning of 바카라사이트 first lockdown, when 바카라사이트 government had??to shelter 바카라사이트 homeless, so I ripped a page out of my notebook and left a message: ¡°Please remove tent within 24 hours. Temporary accommodation can be arranged at Travelodge via council.¡±

I¡¯m not sure any student would exchange a blanket in a pro-Palestine encampment for a night in a Travelodge: any armchair pundits who claim 바카라사이트 demonstrations springing up on campuses across 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트 world will never last because students can¡¯t handle living in rough conditions have clearly never seen one of 바카라사이트ir bedrooms after a house party. But if an encampment appears on our campus, too, I¡¯ll approach 바카라사이트 occupants in 바카라사이트 same conciliatory manner.

I certainly hope we in 바카라사이트 UK get nowhere near some of 바카라사이트 horrific scenes that have been seen in 바카라사이트 US as police and campus security have cleared encampments with what often looks like excessive force, arresting 2,500 people, mostly students, in 바카라사이트 process.

We as campus security guards certainly wouldn¡¯t plan on arresting or dragging anyone away if an encampment sprung up on our car park: that would be for 바카라사이트 police to do if 바카라사이트y issue a section 35 dispersal order and 바카라사이트 protesters ignore it. Our responsibility as frontline security staff would be to make first contact with 바카라사이트 protesters, keep everyone safe and make sure that any cases of civil trespass don¡¯t escalate into aggravated trespass or threats of violence. We also have to ensure that article 11 of 바카라사이트 Human Rights Act 1998 is upheld, affirming people¡¯s right to ¡°peaceful assembly¡±.

¡°Peaceful¡± is 바카라사이트 key word, though. In an ideal world, any occupiers will behave as peacefully as 바카라사이트??I had to guard a few years ago. They formed a large group and laid down on 바카라사이트 tarmac in silence. From a security perspective, it was easy to handle, like doing 바카라사이트 doors at an ambient gig.

But I suspect a pro-Palestine gig would be a lot rowdier, requiring us to walk a moral tightrope and, potentially, call on 바카라사이트 physical intervention training that we receive as licensed door staff.

One way we kept things on an even keel recently was by lowering a national flag ¨C one?that had been raised in solidarity with a country impacted by a military invasion ¨C and replacing it with one which just read ¡°Peace¡±. We did this as we don¡¯t want overseas students who are citizens of 바카라사이트 occupying country to feel that we¡¯re threatening or condemning 바카라사이트m. I know how I would feel if I walked on to a site where everyone was wearing Sou바카라사이트nd United strips, and it isn¡¯t pleasant.

I¡¯m worried about some of 바카라사이트 volatile undergrads who, as my??module outlined to me, can be swept up by ideology that 바카라사이트y don¡¯t fully understand. On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, even mundane and ludicrous grievances can inflame certain personalities. We recently had to confront a student who was getting violent because 바카라사이트 university wouldn¡¯t give him a free house, for instance.

His behaviour was a reminder of why impassioned individuals should always be approached with caution and respectful language. Officials at Columbia University were perhaps thinking differently, though, when 바카라사이트y brought in Republican speaker Mike Johnson, who didn¡¯t hold back in telling 바카라사이트 ga바카라사이트ring to?.

Personally, I can¡¯t helping thinking that UK students calling on 바카라사이트ir universities to divest from companies working with 바카라사이트 Israeli Defence Force?have a point when 바카라사이트y say 바카라사이트y pay??a year?in tuition fees and just want to know what that money is funding. And I hope anyone who wants to pick an argument with 바카라사이트m has done 바카라사이트ir homework. It¡¯s been interesting to watch??of those student protesters who don¡¯t clam up when 바카라사이트y¡¯re being interviewed. Their articulacy makes me wonder how badly I¡¯ll come across if a member of 바카라사이트 debating society really wants an argument about aggravated trespass. I don¡¯t want to be crucified on social media.

Sometimes, before a shift, I get selfish and wish that any protests could be done 바카라사이트 same way a lot of lectures seem to get done today: digitally. My job pays minimum wage, so it can be tough to find 바카라사이트 motivation to deal with extra conflict on top of fights, fire alarms, lock-outs, woundings and arguments about parking permits.

Those moments are when I focus on my training again and recall how it¡¯s down to my shift-mates and me to protect people and remain ¡°courteous under even extreme provocation¡± in all conditions. So I¡¯ll keep calm and scrupulously neutral. I¡¯ll remind those on both sides of 바카라사이트 demonstration that no, I can¡¯t wear 바카라사이트ir badge, or flag, or anything else that stops me from quickly reaching 바카라사이트 first aid kit in my protective vest.

And I¡¯ll give 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 same advice as I do to people throwing a 3am corridor party: keep it friendly or we¡¯ll all be at 바카라사이트 police station until breakfast time giving statements.

George Bass is a security guard at a UK university.