There have been a number of controversies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal since its foundation. Firstly, there have been several strikes and demonstrations on the part of both staff and students. Some strikes from 2009 onward have involved police intervention and the use of riot control measures, as well as violence on the part of some strikers. Secondly, there have been a series of legal and disciplinary actions taken by senior university management against academics for speaking in public about the University. These actions have drawn wide criticism, both from academics and from organizations such as Cosatu and UNESCO.