A pro-Palestine protest encampment remains in place outside a Cambridge University building where graduations have taken place since the 18th century, the day before a graduation is due to take place.

Protesters pitched tents on a lawn outside Senate House earlier this week, and graduation ceremonies are due to take place on Friday and Saturday.

A banner attached to the fence, alongside a Palestinian flag, reads “Senior admin: negotiate”.

Former home secretary Suella Braverman was interviewed by a GB News reporter in the rain outside Senate House on Thursday, with smaller crowds at the protest than on Wednesday.

Mrs Braverman held a black umbrella as she walked along King’s Parade, flanked by security minders, towards King’s College where a first protest encampment appeared last week.

As she was interviewed outside King’s College, her face screened from several angles by umbrellas, an elderly activist held a placard which said “openly Jewish against visible genocide”.

A marked police van parked outside Senate House and there were uniformed officers on foot patrol in the area around lunchtime.

There had been a rally and march around that time the previous day, but the protest appeared muted in the rain on Thursday.

Protesters have vowed to continue until a set of demands are met, and on Wednesday they chanted: “Let your students graduate; come and negotiate.”

The university said in a previous statement that it would be “happy to talk with our students and engage with them” but it was “impossible to have a conversation with an anonymous group”.