Several students participated in a protest in the Forum last Thursday in a strong display of support for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip while condemning the university’s silence and lack of a well-defined stance on the issue. Starting at around 1 pm, the protestors gathered around inside the Forum’s atrium for a sit-in, which lasted for quite a while.
The protestors were utterly disappointed by the university’s policy of neither condemning the ongoing violence in Palestine nor offering a strong public stance of support for the affected Palestinian and pro-Palestinian students and staff. This is also being seen as an unfortunate case of the university’s double standards, as it rightfully condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine when it started back in 2022 but did not offer the same opinion when the violence in Palestine began in October last year.
The protestors were utterly disappointed by the university’s policy of neither condemning the ongoing genocide in Palestine, nor offering a strong public stance of support for the affected Palestinian and pro-Palestinian students and staff.
In a statement given to Exeposé, Ali Alsayegh – one of the protestors –said that the university has “profited millions of pounds from its Centre for Palestine Studies… [but] refuses to even publicly state its support for it,” and “refuses to review its ties with the Israel [sic] military complex.” He also alleged that the university has “highly scrutinised, cancelled, and even postponed” some of its academic events on Palestine.
The protestors are intent on continuing their protest activities, including sit-ins, until the university decides to “change its ways,” and subsequently are urging more students to join in their efforts.
