Let them eat cupcake? University’s 60th birthday celebrations descend into farce

Warwick’s 60th birthday celebrations descended into chaos on Wednesday as Warwick Stands With Palestine (WSWP) activists disrupted the launch event in the Piazza.

The event – scheduled to start at 12:30pm and promising “cake for 600 people” – was heavily attended, with the ongoing winter graduation ceremonies only making the site busier. 

Coinciding with the event, WSWP had arranged a protest outside Senate House at 12:00pm. Billed on the group’s Instagram page as a “rally and campaign launch”, the demonstration was intended to disrupt the University’s 60th anniversary event.

Now is a pivotal moment to show University management that a ceasefire is only the first step towards liberation

Warwick Stands With Palestine statement

Stating their intentions on Instagram, the group said: “Now is a pivotal moment to show University management that a ceasefire is only the first step towards liberation. The University still has partnerships and investments with weapons companies facilitating ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.

“Meanwhile they are celebrating their 60th anniversary and patting themselves on the back for having a ‘positive impact on the world, lasting impact on the world’. Warwick University’s legacy is one of complicity with war crimes and genocide.”

The WSWP activists marched towards the Piazza just minutes before the ‘Warwick Celebrates’ event was due to start, carrying a banner with the words ‘Rolls Royce Powers Genocide’ and ‘Arms Off Campus’. Entering the Piazza, their chants mingled with music being performed by the University’s Brass Society, who continued to perform despite the disruption.

Some chants in particular were tailored towards the graduation event being disrupted, with the popular refrain, “This Uni will not set you free, be the change you want to see”, adapted to include the words: “Your graduation won’t set you free.”

Such was the last-minute nature of this decision that several students who had been spectating on Terrace Bar […] found themselves suddenly mingling with members of the University Executive

The demonstration succeeded in disrupting the event up to a point. Having initially been planned to take place in the middle of the Piazza, the event organisers abandoned this idea to instead set up a cake and podium on the balcony of Terrace Bar.

Such was the last-minute nature of this decision that several students who had been spectating on Terrace Bar before the decision to move found themselves suddenly mingling with members of the University Executive who came up to join them.

Crowds soon gathered to watch beneath Terrace Bar, with WSWP demonstrators stationing themselves below the Atrium entrance, before migrating to outside the Rootes building.

Just after 1:00pm, a notably energetic Stuart Croft, the Vice-Chancellor, alongside SU President Enaya Nihal and newly-appointed Chancellor Bience Gawanas emerged onto Terrace Bar to greet the waiting crowd.

Confetti exploded over the scene, showering the protestors in purple and gold ribbons

Gawanas, who officially began her role as Chancellor the following day, was personally introduced by Croft to Warwick students. Meanwhile, WSWP’s protest turned upwards to address the University leadership directly.

Confronted with the megaphonic chanting of the demonstration, Croft launched into a wild countdown, before confetti exploded over the scene, showering the protestors in purple and gold ribbons.

The University Executive then remained on the balcony for photographs – unperturbed by the demonstration – before withdrawing inside shortly after.

The crowd, for their part, dispersed to help eat the sought-after 600 cakes.

[One student] noted the fact University leadership “were literally looking down on us”

The convergence of the 60th anniversary celebration with a WSWP demonstration and the still-continuing graduation formalities proved a surreal sight for onlookers.

Speaking to The Boar afterwards, some of the protestors expressed disbelief at how they claimed the University had handled the optics of the event. One described the “literal ivory tower” of Terrace Bar that the Executive had retreated into, whilst another noted the fact University leadership “were literally looking down on us”.

Another observer offered that the scene reminded them of the 2011 Occupy Wall Street protests, when demonstrators passing the National City Bank Building in New York were photographed by banking bosses holding a party on the building’s upper levels.

University leaders, for their part, were effusive over Warwick’s diamond anniversary, with Stuart Croft all smiles as he greeted a range of senior guests on the T-Bar balcony, and waved to a Boar photographer in the Piazza.

He said in a statement: “At The University of Warwick, we are proud of our rich heritage as a world-class leader in education, research and innovation, locally, nationally and internationally.”

60 years is such a big milestone and I’m really honoured that I’ve become Chancellor of the University during its 60th anniversary year

Bience Gawanas, Chancellor of Warwick

Bience Gawanas, the new Chancellor, said: “60 years is such a big milestone and I’m really honoured that I’ve become Chancellor of the University during its 60th anniversary year. The University has spread knowledge across the world and I hope it can continue to do that for many more years to come.”

She added: “Happy anniversary to the Warwick family!”