Dear University of Bath,

I would like to make a request under the Freedom of Information Act.

BACKGROUND
I understand your university is a member of the Association of University Chief Security Officers (AUCSO), which runs a Special Interest Group on Protest and Encampments/Protests and Assembly.

This FOI request will make reference to pro-Palestine protest activity, which I would like you to interpret as including but not limited to the following activities: encampments, chanting, gatherings and demonstrations, written or verbal comments and flyering.

QUESTIONS

Please provide:
1. Copies of all emails exchanged between your university staff*, AUCSO and other universities’ security teams since 1 October 2023 discussing Palestine protest activity on your campus, as well as copies of any documents/images attached to those emails or included in the body of the emails.

2. Copies of any and all guidance documents your university has received from AUSCO since 1 October 2023 in connection with pro-Palestine protest activity, including but not limited to anything addressing the following:
- Encampments
- Sharing data with police
- When to make Prevent referrals
- Sharing data with the Home Office
- Disciplinary action

3. A list of any and all meetings between AUCSO and any university staff* which have taken place at your university since 1 October 2023 to discuss Pro-Palestine protest activity.

4. For each of the meetings covered under the scope of question 3, please provide the:
A. The meeting agenda
B. The list of attendees and apologies
C. Meeting minutes
D. Any presentations shown at the meeting
E. Documents circulated during the meeting

5. Please provide copies of all emails sent and received by your university staff* and police since 17 May 2024 discussing Palestine protest activity on your campus, as well as copies of any documents/images attached to those emails or included in the body of the emails.

6. A list of any and all meetings between police and any university staff* which have taken place at your university since 17 May 2024 to discuss Pro-Palestine protest activity.

7. For each of the meetings covered under the scope of question 3, please provide the:
A. The meeting agenda
B. The list of attendees and apologies
C. Meeting minutes
D. Any presentations shown at the meeting
E. Documents circulated during the meeting

*A NOTE ON S12 COST EXEMPTION:

In regards to question 1-7 above, if it would exceed the cost limit to conduct searches for information held by all relevant university staff and departments who have emailed/met with police and AUCSO - then please restrict your searches to the systems/inboxes used by your university’s security team, the team responsible for student wellbeing/welfare and the senior leadership team including your Vice-Chancellor (or equivalent leadership position).

A NOTE ON S40 PERSONAL DATA EXEMPTION:
I understand some of the information covered under the scope of my request may need to be redacted for personal data. Please note that the domain addresses of the sender and recipients of all emails covered under the scope of my request (“@university.ac.uk” or “police.uk”) is not directly identifiable information and should be left unredacted so as to help promote an accurate understanding of who is the sender and recipient of each email (not their personal identity but which institution they represent).

In addition, the ICO has indicated that it is not appropriate for data controllers to redact the names of employees who perform “a role that involves decision-making for which the employee has accountability” (ICO Decision Notice FS50308752, 21 March 2011, at paras 52-57.) This would include all university staff (other than those performing a purely administrative role), and any public officials that they have been in correspondence with. I will, therefore, require your full written reasons in the event you consider you are entitled to redact the identifying information of any individuals, so that I may consider making a complaint to the Information Commissioner.

Yours faithfully,

Harriet Clugston

Dear Rebecca,
Thanks for this disclosure - but please can you clarify the following for me:
The text of some emails in the PDF you've shared is tiny and extremely difficult to read and, for reasons unknown, the letters in many words contained in these emails are also missing/obscured - making it exceptionally difficult to read and understand.
Is this intentional or some sort of formatting error?
I hope it is the latter and that you will be able to swiftly provide another copy of this PDF, which was due back on 6 September, today (23 October) in which all the emails are legible.
Kind regards,
Liberty Investigates