Students at the University of Edinburgh have voiced support for the pro-Palestine encampment set up at its Old College Quad earlier this month.
Members of the university’s Justice for Palestine Society (JPS) established the encampment to show solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and to make their presence known as they push for the university to meet their demands.
These demands include that the university financially divest from Israeli-linked companies, end research ties, and offer scholarships to Palestinian students.
Several students have told The Student that, although they do not know much about the encampment, they would consider getting involved.
They said that the university should be listening to and respecting its students’ demands but that its response has been insufficient.
Since 7 October 2023 – when Hamas attacked Southern Israel, killing 1,200 Israelis – Israel’s continuous bombing campaign and invasion of Gaza has killed over 35,000 Palestinians and displaced almost two million.
Any response short of divestment and ceasefire demands are appalling
One told The Student that they believe the encampment is making a significant impact, as it cannot be ignored, and added:
“Any response short of divestment and ceasefire demands are appalling and an affront to these students will.”
The encampment demands that the university denounce its ties to former Prime Minister Arthur Balfour, whose portrait was previously housed in the Old College.
Balfour’s 1917 Declaration endorsed the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine at the expense of Palestinian nationhood.
Associate professor at the University of Edinburgh Nicola Perugini has stated that Balfour constructed “British academic space as an imperial project” during his time as Chancellor.
To pressure the university to meet their demands and show solidarity with Palestinians, 15 University of Edinburgh students at the encampment are participating in a hunger strike.
A student activist at the encampment criticised the university’s “bureaucratic” response, telling the Student that:
“We chose hunger strike because it is one of the most extreme nonviolent forms of protest and because we want the university to understand how much we’re willing to put our lives on the line for this cause.”
University Vice-Chancellor Sir Peter Mathieson and Vice-Principal Colm Harmon have spoken directly with activists, urging them to stop the hunger strike.
We’re willing to put our lives on the line for this cause
The university has announced it is reviewing its definition of armaments and controversial weapons in relation to its Responsible Investment Policy and undertaking a three-month consultation in which students and staff members may share their views on updates to the policy.
As part of these measures, the university is establishing two working groups and has begun conversations with an external professional mediator to engage with the protestors.
In a statement on 23 May, Vice-Chancellor Sir Mathieson said that the university was “actively exploring with our investment advisers the potential for restrictions on new unit purchases of Alphabet and Amazon, pending the output of the working group.”
Alphabet (also known as Google) and Amazon signed a $1.2 billion deal with the Israeli government in 2021 to provide cloud services for the country’s military and public sectors.
One student activist at Old College told The Student that they believe the encampment has been effective as it is part of an “international movement” and is educating the public through social media coverage, teach-outs, and discussions about Palestine’s history, imperialism, and other social issues.
The activist said they are hopeful about the outcome of their protest.
Amongst over 140 US and 15 UK university divestment protests, some US universities have begun to divest from Israel and UK institutions such as Trinity College at the University of Cambridge are reportedly beginning to.
Some University of Edinburgh students are also participating in a similar encampment based next to the Scottish Parliament, which – non-student encampments in Oregon, US and Germany – aims to put pressure on the Scottish Government.
The Holyrood encampment demands include divestment but also that the Scottish Government recognise the conflict as a genocide, the implementation of an arms embargo and a call for a ceasefire.
The Scottish government does not recognise this encampment, and MSPs are threatened with suspension if they talk to any protestors, but a student activist there told The Student that it has been an effective rallying point for the public.
The University of Edinburgh’s staff and student-wide consultation on its investment policy opens on 31 March, and both encampments aim to hold site and build numbers until their goals are met.
Image via Maryse Bots