2020 University of Manchester protests

The 2020 University of Manchester protests were a series of student protests and rent strikes at the University of Manchester in England. The protests began on 5 November 2020, and occupations ended on 25 November 2020. The protest was in reaction to perceived mishandling of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic by university management. The goals of the protests were a removal of fencing erected during the COVID-19 lockdown and a reduction in rents in halls of residence. This later expanded to goals including improvement of living conditions, increased access to support services and the removal of senior university leadership figures, such as Vice-chancellor Nancy Rothwell.

As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the university closed its teaching campus on 7 October 2020. At the time, cases of the virus were the highest nationally in the Fallowfield ward containing the residential campus amid illegal student parties. On 23 October, Greater Manchester was placed into a Tier 3 lockdown. On 5 November, the university erected temporary fencing to prevent mixing of households, notifying students later in the day. By the evening, a large demonstration had formed and the fencing was dismantled by protestors, with the fencing cleared by the university the next day. Following this incident, a group of students promoting a rent strike occupied the tower of the Owens Park halls. Concurrent to this, an incident occurred in which a student who was detained and questioned outside a halls of residence accused campus security of racial profiling practises. The protests ended on the 25 November when the tower was vacated following a Students' Union negotiated rent reduction.

Following the protests, an inquiry into the erection of the fences was set up to investigate the events of the 5 November, making a number of recommendations relating to communication with students and COVID-19 management. Additionally, following charges of common assault, on 18 November 2021 two security officers were acquitted of wrongdoing in the case of the racial profiling allegation. Later in March 2021, a referendum was held by the Students' Union on a motion of no confidence in the vice chancellor and other senior management staff. Despite a vote in favour of 89%, the union motion was not binding on the university and the turnout was only 13%. On 12 March 2021, the university board of governors reaffirmed their support for the senior management team.