Birmingham University students and staff stage weekly walkouts over alleged ties to Israel

University of Birmingham (UoB) students and staff are staging weekly walkouts over the institution’s alleged ties to Israel.

UoB is one of several universities in the UK seeing hundreds of students and workers walk out of lectures in a joint student-union action staged over alleged links between universities and Israel. 

Although students claimed the initial walkout was staged to mark a year of genocide, they later explained the walkouts would be against the university’s alleged involvement with companies who have ties to Israel.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Student-Staff Coalition for Palestine at UoB🇵🇸 (@bhamliberatedzone)

A representative of SFLP (Student Federation for a Liberated Palestine) told The Birmingham Tab: “The movement for Palestinian liberation continues to grow on campuses across the UK.

“We collectively demand that universities listen to their students and staff, disclose all investments in complicit companies, end research partnerships with companies tied to genocide and apartheid, and protect freedom of speech on campus.”

A University of Birmingham spokesperson in response told the Birmingham Tab, “We are committed to maintaining high environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards across our investment portfolios. The University is a signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment, incorporating ESG factors in our investments.”

In late December, the results of a motion were released which called on the University of Birmingham Student Guild to encourage students to voice their dissent against the university’s alleged complicity in the genocide. A record number of students took part in the All Student Vote, with 1,172 university-goers voting for the motion to pass.

For the motion to be implemented it must now be passed by the Guild’s Board of Trustees, and Birmingham Liberated Zone, backed by 11 other student societies, has been pushing for this outcome.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by University of Birmingham Friends of Palestine (@uobfriendsofpalestine)

Dr Lucie Ryzova, a historian and senior lecturer in Middle Eastern history at the University of Birmingham, was a speaker at one of the protests. In her speech, she said: “Talking about Gaza and Palestine has everything to do with integrity. Both our professional integrity as scholars and our personal one as human beings.

“We have been trained, and are literally paid, to historicise, to contextualise, and to critically evaluate evidence. Yet, when it comes to Gaza, or to Palestine/Israel in general, historicising the 7th of October will get us in trouble,” she continued. 

Last month, Birmingham UCU published a statement on the university’s Code of Practice on freedom of speech, calling it “most likely unlawful”. 

In a motion passed by a committee vote on 24th September last year, the Birmingham UCU branch wrote: “The code of practice has been used to obstruct the organisation of protest and restrict academic freedom, creating an environment of intimidation.”

In response to Birmingham’s UCU statement, the university denied it being unlawful, with a University of Birmingham spokesperson saying: “Expert external and internal legal advice informed this update, and the Code was approved by the University Council.

“Although there is no requirement to consult the unions, it was shared with union representatives prior to its publication”. The University of Birmingham also commented saying that this Code of Practice was updated in April 2024 after new legislation.

These walkouts come as two student protestors, known as the Birmingham 2, say they are being subjected to disciplinary action following involvement in encampments and protesting outside of an investment subcommittee meeting. A disciplinary hearing is scheduled to take place soon.

However, a University of Birmingham spokesperson has denied this being the reason for the disciplinary hearings, saying to the Birmingham Tab: “The University of Birmingham has a very strong and longstanding commitment to freedom of speech and academic freedom – supported by our longstanding Code of Practice. However, we are unable to comment on active case matters involving individual students.”

The University of Birmingham spokesperson continued stating, “The University continues to strongly support free speech through our processes – in last year’s autumn term alone that included approving six rallies in support of Palestine, along with other events and activities relating to a range of causes.”

Featured image via @bhamliberatedzone on Instagram