The University of Cape Town “would have preferred not to have pursued this route”‚ but on Tuesday it turned to the Western Cape High Court to obtain an interim interdict to ensure it “can conclude the year and exams”. “We are deeply concerned for the safety of staff and students alike - including protesters - and we are extremely worried that the violence and unlawfulness that some protesters are engaging in presents a real risk to life and limb‚” said vice-chancellor Dr Max Price.The respondent named in UCT’s application was “all those persons participating‚ or intending to participate‚ in unlawful conduct at the applicant’s properties”.Max explained on Tuesday night that “the interim interdict also prohibits the disruption of exams‚ libraries‚ research and other laboratories‚ and the ability of any of the university’s employees to do their work”.“We would have preferred not to have pursued this route‚ but at this point we have no alternative – the unlawful action by some of the protesters has left us no other option‚” he added.Commenting on a number of arrests on UCT campuses‚ Price said: “We simply can never support‚ condone or excuse the disruptive and violent tactics that some of the protesters have adopted.“When such unlawful acts are committed‚ the SAPS must intervene.”“I assure you that‚ as far as we can tell‚ none of the people arrested have been detained for their leadership of peaceful protests‚ but rather for allegedly unlawful activity. Such activity not only obliges the university management to escalate security measures‚ but undermines the engagement process‚” he added.He did‚ however‚ note that police “actions too should be governed by the terms of the law”. ..