Pro-Palestinian student protesters have ended their month-long encampment on the ground floor of a London School of Economics (LSE) building. The group initially set up the encampment

inside the Marshall Building in central London on May 14 but were ordered to vacate after losing a legal battle.

Before dismantling their tents, signs, and bin bags, the activists held a rally inside the building. They exited through the building's windows at 3:30 PM BST, just 30 minutes before the court-mandated deadline.

LSE stated that it sought the court order after exhausting all other options. The encampment was established following the release of the "Assets in Apartheid" report by the LSE Students' Union's Palestine Society. The report alleges that LSE has invested £89 million in 137 companies involved in the Gaza conflict, fossil fuels, the arms industry, or nuclear weapons production.

The students had vowed to remain until LSE met their demands, which included divestment and the democratisation of the financial decision-making process. LSE previously indicated it would carefully consider the report and hoped for "peaceful dialogue."

Annabelle, an LSE undergraduate who was part of the encampment, described the rally as "energetic but peaceful." Ethan Chua, a spokesperson for the protest group, expressed disappointment, stating it was "incredibly shameful" that the university chose to "criminalise them instead of engaging with their substantive demands."

An LSE spokesperson explained that the interim possession order was sought after careful consideration, citing fire safety concerns and the safety of the protesters as primary reasons. Despite the end of the encampment, negotiations between the protest group and the university administration continue regarding their demands. Photo by Ardfern, Wikimedia commons.