Protestors form barricade at Edinburgh University to demand divestment from arms industry

Protestors have formed a barricade at the University of Edinburgh to demand Scottish institutions’ divestment from the arms industry.

Demonstrators in Glasgow also blockaded university buildings over alleged financial and research links with Israel.

At the University of Edinburgh, protesters barricaded entrances to the finance building, Charles Stewart House, on Wednesday 12th February, criticising what they describe as the university’s “financial complicity” in supporting the Israeli military and the “illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine.” Meanwhile, at the University of Glasgow, around 50 students have obstructed access to the Rankine Engineering Building after the university’s governing body refused calls from staff and students to cut ties with the arms industry.

Both were demonstrating in solidarity with their respective institution’s Justice for Palestine societies.

Demonstrators in Edinburgh held banners reading “It’s Our Time, Shut It Down for Palestine” and “Globalise the Student Intifada.”

A spokesperson for the Edinburgh University Justice for Palestine Society said at the picket line: “We have once again decided to block entrances to the University of Edinburgh’s Charles Stewart House, in response to the failure in the University Court to divest from companies complicit in the illegal occupation of Palestine.”

A statement from EUJPS read: “It has been 76 years since the beginning of the Israeli settler-colonial project…yet the university continues to aid and abet [the conflict] through financial complicity and research ties with [arms] companies… Over the past year, any progress in support of Palestine has only been achieved through student-led campaigning and direct action.

“Students across Scotland continue to escalate their demands for divestment, standing in solidarity with Palestine and one another. We remain united in this struggle and send our full support to them.”

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The protest group claimed that the University of Edinburgh allegedly holds more than £39 million in companies allegedly complicit in funding Israel, including £30 million in BlackRock, £3.6 million in Amazon, £2.6 million in Booking.com, and £2.2 million in Albemarle.

Meanwhile, the University of Glasgow’s endowment fund was allegedly valued at £262 million as of July 2024. A publicly available list of investments from 2023 includes shares in the arms industries linked to Israel, such as BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin, and Thales.

However, not all students have expressed support for the demonstrations.

James Lee, a third year law student, told The Edinburgh Tab: “I understand their passion, but disrupting students who have nothing to do with investment decisions isn’t the way to create meaningful change. .

“There are better ways to push for divestment that don’t involve blocking people from attending lectures, and without being antisemitic.”

Other students, however, have expressed their backing for the protests.

“The university has ignored calls for divestment for too long. This kind of disruption is necessary to finally get them to listen, said Aisha Gaddafi, a fourth year politics student, to The Edinburgh Tab.

“People said similar things about the anti-apartheid protests in the past, but direct action was what made a difference then too.”

A University of Edinburgh spokesperson said: “The horror of the violence and loss of life in the Middle East has been felt deeply by many in our community. We continue to support our students and staff impacted by the conflict, alongside others who share the pain of those suffering.

“While we respect the right to peaceful protest, we do not support protesters preventing access to a building. The day-to-day running of the university and the safety of everyone on campus remain our priority, and disciplinary action may be taken should anyone breach the student code of conduct.

“We are reviewing our approach to responsible investments, including refreshing our Responsible Investment policy, with a related advisory group being established. We will continue to engage with those raising concerns.”

Amazon, BAE Systems, Booking.com, Albermarle, BlackRock, Thales, Lockheed Martin, and Edinburgh University Justice for Palestine Society were all contacted for comment but they did not respond.

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