A hundred people gather to protest the Univeristy of Bristol’s ‘funding of genocide’

Over 100 people turned out to protest this afternoon against the University of Bristol’s various partnerships with companies that are thought to assist Israel militarily.

According to @bristoloccupy4palestine, who organised the rally (named “End the Educide”), the value of Bristol military partnership stands at “£92, 809 934.” Protesters, some young children, called for Bristol to “divest from genocide.”

The protest began on Tyndall Park Road yesterday (24th November), at 12:30 where the executive management building is located.

Despite the weather, many people, young and old, turned out to call on Bristol to ensure they are not directly linked with the offences that continue to be launched against Palestinians. The protest happened in the same week the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister.

In light of the ICC’s arrest warrant, @bristoloccupy4palestine released an open letter, setting out their aims and calling on Bristol Chancellor Evelyn Welch to: “Commit to financial transparency and full disclosure in documenting its relationship with arms manufacturers and other companies profiting from Israel’s human rights breaches and its illegal occupation”, “commit to divesting from companies operating in the illegally occupied Palestinian territories, and from companies involved in the supply of weapons to Israel” and “commit to documenting the steps it has taken thus far to ensure its investments in this area are compliant with international law.”

The letter went on to comment how Bristol Uni is more “implicated in the global arms industry” than other UK universities, and it is the arms industry that is responsible for the Israeli atrocities in Gaza. It stated that Bristol ought to be concerned about how such partnerships are likely to damage Bristol’s reputation.

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The University of Bristol refutes the “£92 809, 934” figure and has not directly responded to today’s protest that made sure to take place in the heart of the university campus.

Attendees of the protest included the National Education Union and CND, as well as other smaller companies and charities.

The protest comes six days after the Bristol Palestine alliance hung a large Palestine flag from Cabot Tower and displayed a large poster with the “£92,809,934” figure beneath. Protest collaborator, Alex Wolfe-Warman wrote on Instagram, “We hung the Palestinian flag from Cabot Tower and reminded people of this huge amount of money and called for divestment and demilitarisation of education.

“All the schools and universities in Palestine have been destroyed. End the Educide, divest now. One love. Peace.”

Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, the Bristol Palestine alliance have engaged in mass demonstrations, including a long-term encampment in the summer term and myriad open letters addressed to the Chancellor demanding she cut all ties with the Israeli occupation. The group has also repeatedly called for a mass boycott of the check-in app.

The war in Gaza has now been raging for well over a year, with no sign that Israel will lessen its offensive. They are continuing to launch attacks on Gaza and more recently, Lebanon, as the geo-political context in the Middle East become more and more unstable. Today’s protest aimed to bring attention to Bristol’s various connections with military firms that have links to the Israeli offensive.

A University of Bristol spokesperson said: “We support the right to freedom of expression and to engage in lawful, peaceful protest and understand the deeply held concerns that many in our community feel about the situation in Israel, Gaza and Lebanon. The University’s association with a wide variety of organisations helps drive innovative research and improves our students’ future careers. All our partnerships undergo stringent diligence checks and ethical reviews.”