University of the Arts London is taking legal action against a number of students, including elected Student’s Union Officers following protests against cuts the University is planning to make. Plans the University made without consulting the Students' Union and therefore not taking students' views into consideration in any meaningful way.

There is a petition about the cuts, this is not about that. This is about the unprecedented and aggressive behaviour of the UAL leadership towards its own student body. These students and elected officers are being taking to court for conveying their views on what they see is best in improving or maintaining the quality of the student experience at UAL. Higher education institutions should foster a culture of inquiry, development and growth, rather than punish students for making their voices heard.

> We call on UAL to halt its legal proceedings against its students and their elected representatives.

> We call on UAL to reopen negotiations to end the protest amicably and to re-establish a proactive open, constructive and two-way dialogue between the university and the student body in order to prevent further reactive, destructive situations in the future.

This petition was started by a number of former student leaders from the University in support of the current team. Today we issued UAL management with an open letter. We are now calling on the wider UAL community and supporters further a field to stand in solidarity with the the students and officers that have been summoned.