Students have staged an occupation of a building at Glasgow University in protest against the university’s affiliations with arms manufacturers that supply weapons to Israel.
Early this morning, members of the University Justice for Palestine Society (GUJPS) and Glasgow Against Arms & Fossil Fuels (GAAFF) took control of the Charles Wilson building.
Throughout the day, the protestors are conducting a ‘teach-in’, facilitating educational sessions focused on the conflict in the Middle East.
Their demands include urging the university to cut ties with arms dealers and to implement an academic boycott against Israel and its supporters.
Additionally, they are advocating for the renaming of the Wilson building to the Ahmad Manasra Building, in tribute to a Palestinian who Israel has incarcerated since he was a teenager.
Ilyas Jarrar, one of the protesting students, stated, “I’m here today because Western institutions must stop profiting from the suffering of Palestinians without consequences. We aim to transform this university into a space of anti-colonial, liberated learning, expanding the educational boundaries beyond what is traditionally deemed acceptable by the establishment.”
The protestors have organized a series of talks and film screenings, including a lecture titled ‘Jewish Anti-Zionism and The Radical Jewish Tradition’ and the documentary ‘Jenin, Jenin’.
This demonstration is part of a broader student movement pushing the university to divest from arms companies, a cause that has gained traction in recent years.
Following significant student protests, the university initiated a consultation regarding its Socially Responsible Investment Policy (SRI), which revealed strong support for divestment from defence firms among students and staff.
Despite this, the University Court recently adopted a new SRI policy that did not incorporate divestment from arms companies, a decision that has faced criticism from the Student Representative Council (SRC).
Protestors claim that arms firms supported by the university have supplied weaponry used by Israel in the Gaza conflict, resulting in thousands of casualties and allegations of genocide. John Turnbull, another participant in the occupation, expressed his ethical duty to protest, condemning the university’s overt support for what he describes as a severe genocide.
In response, a university spokesperson affirmed the institution’s commitment to free speech and peaceful protest but highlighted the necessity for respect and tolerance within the university community, emphasizing that disruptive activities would not be tolerated.
