Pro-Palestine protesters block access to Edi Uni’s finances building

Members of the Edinburgh University Justice for Palestine Society (EUJPS) were seen physically blocking the entrance to the university’s finance building early in the morning last Friday, dispersing around 10am.

Their actions came as a response to delays in divestment after a meeting of the University Court on October 7th.

Court is the governing legal body of the University of Edinburgh. Following protest and meetings with EUJPS, Court had previously set up two Short Life Working Groups to address demands for divestment.

The working groups main objectives were to reassess the Responsible Investment Policy that currently allows for the university to own shares in companies that have been criticised for their alleged involvement in the Israel-Palestine conflict.

EUJPS hoped that the courts meeting on October 7 would establish a concrete plan for divestment following a previous decision to freeze the purchase of all new sales in Alphabet Inc and Amazon.

However, the meeting ended without a decision on immediate divestment, instead setting up plans for an advisory “ethical review and due diligence” group.

A university spokesperson said that “While this work is ongoing, new purchases of certain direct stock investments remain suspended, and we will continue to engage with those raising concerns.”.

A post from EUJPS labelled the development of a third working group as a “farce” and accused the university of acting in a manner that contravenes international law.

They criticised the university’s decision to hold their court meeting on October 7, a day which “marked one year of the genocide in Gaza,” calling the move “shamefully disrespectful.”

The courts decision also follows a refusal by the university to provide a permanent space for a Palestinian memorial on campus.

EUJPS have organised and been a part of numerous protests since the October 7 attacks, including sit-ins, occupations and hunger strikes.

EUJPS has made it clear that they will continue to protest for divestment until “actual action is taken” on the subject and that further delays only “strengthen” the movement. Another protest held in Bristo Square on Saturday highlighted this commitment.

The University responded to Friday’s protest saying: “While we respect the right to peaceful protest, we do not support protesters preventing access to a building. The University is clear that disciplinary action may be taken should anyone breach its student code of conduct.”.

EUJPS’s statement can be found on their Instagram

The University’s full statement can be found below:

“The University continues to offer support to those in its community affected by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. We view protest, and the impact of protest on university practice, to be an important part of the life of a university.

“While we respect the right to peaceful protest, we do not support protestors preventing access to a building. The University is clear that disciplinary action may be taken should anyone breach its student code of conduct.

“We are currently reviewing our approach to responsible investments, with a new advisory group recently established to carry out due diligence on findings to date. While this work is ongoing, new purchases of certain direct stock investments remain suspended, and we will continue to engage with those raising concerns.”

“Our full statement can be read and included in your article here: University Court Statement on Responsible Investment | The University of Edinburgh.”.

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