Editing University College London (section)

===Student campaigns===
In 1956, UCL students organised a silent march progressing against the Soviet oppression of the [[Hungarian Revolution of 1956]]. Around 1,300 students from across institutions in London matches from the Royal Albert Hall to the Soviet Embassy. There were active [[Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament]] and [[Anti-Apartheid Movement|anti-apartheid]] students groups at UCL in the 1960s and a pioneering GaySoc group that helped drive the [[National Union of Students (United Kingdom)|National Union of Students]] gay rights campaign in the 1970s. 1977 saw a student occupation of administrative offices and the Slade School in protest against government cuts to higher education.<ref name=Campaigns/>

In 2010, protests by students and staff led UCL to promise to pay a [[living wage]] to all UCL staff.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/education-11427323|date= 28 September 2010|title=UCL agrees to pay 'living wage'|publisher=BBC News}}</ref> As part of the [[2010 UK student protests|protests against the UK government's plans to increase student fees]], around 200 students occupied the Jeremy Bentham Room and part of the [[Slade School of Fine Art]] for over two weeks during November and December 2010.<ref name="students stage day of protests">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11829102 |title=Students stage day of protests over tuition fee rises |publisher=BBC News |date=24 November 2010 |access-date=13 December 2010}}</ref><ref name="uclprotest">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-11954418 |title=University College London granted eviction order |publisher=BBC News |date=8 December 2010 |access-date=13 December 2010}}</ref> The university successfully obtained a court order to evict the students but stated that it did not intend to enforce the order if possible.<ref name="uclprotest" />

The late 2010s saw student campaigns around the cost of university-run accommodation. In 2016, over 1000 students took part in a [[rent strike]] in protest against high rents and poor conditions. Organisers said they had won over £1 million in rent cuts, freezes and grants from UCL in the settlement that ended the strike.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/oct/19/why-i-refuse-to-pay-my-university-rent |title=Why I refuse to pay my university rent |author=Anonymous blogger |work=The Guardian |date=19 October 2016}}</ref> Another rent strike in 2017 lead to UCL pledging around £1.4 million in bursaries and rent freezes, mostly in the form of accommodation bursaries for less well-off students totalling £600,000 per year for the 2017/18 and 2018/19 academic years.<ref name=Strike2017>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/jul/06/students-win-15m-pledge-from-ucl-after-five-month-rent-strike |title=Students win £1.5m pledge from UCL after five-month rent strike |author=Alfie Packham |date=6 July 2017 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> Another rent strike was held at two halls of residence in the third term of the 2017/18 academic year due to complaints over conditions at those halls.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://leftfootforward.org/2018/05/students-strike-on-rent-pay-after-mice-and-flooding-complaints/ |title=Students strike on rent pay after mice and flooding complaints |author=Joana Ramiro |date=8 May 2018 |work=[[Left Foot Forward]]}}</ref>

In 2018, [[Aliza Ayaz]], then a first year student founded the university’s first environment student campaign by setting up the Climate Action Society.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2021/feb/ucl-masters-student-appointed-un-youth-ambassador | title=UCL master's student appointed as UN Youth Ambassador | date=5 February 2021 }}</ref> The student society led pressure on the university to divest from fossil fuels and make the announcement publicly.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://arynews.tv/pakistani-student-aliza-ayaz-ucl/amp/ | title=Pakistani student Aliza Ayaz leads student engagement at UCL | date=19 October 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2019/oct/ucl-divests-fossil-fuels-it-launches-bold-new-sustainability-strategy | title=UCL divests from fossil fuels as it launches bold new sustainability strategy | date=16 October 2019 }}</ref>

In 2024, students protesting against the [[Gaza war]] set up an [[Occupation (protest)|encampment]] in the campus, emulating the [[2024 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses|2024 pro-Palestinian protests]] that took place across universities in the United States. The UCL encampment followed similar movements by students in other UK universities, such as the [[University of Leeds]] and the [[University of Bristol]].<ref>{{cite web |title=UCL students attempt to replicate US protest encampments against Gaza war |url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uk-ucl-students-launch-encampment-demand-university-divest-israel |access-date=2024-05-04 |website=Middle East Eye}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Somerville |first1=Ewan |last2=Swerling |first2=Gabriella |last3=Mendick |first3=Robert |last4=Barton |first4=Alex |date=2024-05-03 |title=Pro-Palestinian protests spread across British universities |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/05/03/university-college-london-pro-palestine-tent-camp/ |access-date=2024-05-04 |work=The Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}}</ref> On 15 November 2024, students protested the visit of Czech Foreign Minister [[Jan Lipavský]], criticising the Czech government's support for Israel.<ref>{{cite news |title=Pro-Palestine protesters bring Czech foreign minister's UCL speech to abrupt end |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/11/16/palestine-protest-czech-foreign-minister-ucl-jan-lipavsky/ |work=The Telegraph |date=16 November 2024}}</ref>