Sheffield students resume campus occupations to protest university’s arms industry links

Students at the University of Sheffield are occupying the university’s famous Arts Tower.

The two-pronged protest is being undertaken in solidarity with striking workers and in condemnation of the university’s ongoing financial links with the arms industry. It is the first protest of the academic year being carried out by the Sheffield Action Group.

The group of students began the occupation on Thursday evening, adorning the Arts Tower with banners and forcing a shutdown of all academic activities throughout Friday.

Two weeks of strikes are being carried out by the University and College Union. While, the union had called off strike action at a majority of universities, including Sheffield Hallam, the University of Sheffield remains affected.

The University of Sheffield’s financial links to the global arms industry continue to draw criticism. FOI requests by the group Demilitarise Education revealed that the University of Sheffield has received over £70 million from the arms industry in the past decade.

Sheffield Action Group has previously occupied The Octagon, Hicks Building and The Diamond. A member of the group at the Arts Tower declined to comment on the ongoing occupation.

The Tab Sheffield has contacted University of Sheffield for comment.

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