Protesters march against the University of Bristol’s £92 million ‘defence partnerships’

On Saturday 1st February, over 100 people, including students and medical professionals, marched through Bristol in a protest against institutions that are believed to have funded the Gaza war.

The march was organised by Bristol Palestine Alliance and was joined by several local groups to raise awareness against the University of Bristol’s “defence partnerships” of £92,890,934 believed to have further enabled the war in Gaza.

They also protested against the £4 million that Bristol Uni has invested in Israeli arms companies.

Bristol Palestine Alliance announced the event on Instagram @bristolpalestinealliance, where they explained that they were demanding the University of Bristol to divest and use the £92 million currently invested in arms companies in more “ethical and appropriate ways”.

Meeting on Tyndall Avenue, on Bristol University’s campus, the march followed down Park Street and ended outside Barclays in Broadmead.

A large banner reading the figure £92,890,934, claimed to be the value of the university’s defence industry partnerships, was at the forefront of the march, with protestors carrying Palestinian flags following behind.

The protestors chanted “Evelyn Welch you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide” in front of Bristol Uni vice-chancellor Evelyn Welch’s office.

A student of the University of Bristol announced to the crowd of protestors that all major Bristol universities had responded to the war with a “coordinated silence”.

The student explained that the government has failed to respond to these callouts, despite the presence of thousands of people locally and nationally uniting together to rally for the rights of Palestinians.

A three-phase ceasefire deal came into effect on January 15th, yet many protesters maintain that institutions such as the University of Bristol, Starbucks and Barclays are still involved in the funding of the war.

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The evening before the march (31st January), saw a light display projected onto Wills Memorial Building, protesting against the university’s ties to arms industry investments.

This coincided with the opening weekend of the Bristol Light Festival 2025, and the projection included phrases such as “Shame” and the figure £92,890,934.

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.”

The university also has a page on its website which outlines more about the university’s relationship with defence companies.

Bristol University’s vice-chancellor Evelyn Welch has been approached for comment.

Featured image via @MediaWiseMJ on X.