Glasgow's voice on the war in Gaza
By Ben Wilson
Students at The University of Glasgow showed their support for Gaza by holding a protest today. They gathered in the James McCune Smith building and voiced their outrage using chants, banners and Palestinian flags.
The background behind this is the university’s involvement with their investments in the arms trade which directly fuels the conflict. The Justice for Palestine society were the leading voice in the demonstration, moving the protest throughout the building and providing masks and other items to help cover up protestors’ identities.
Posters on display around Glasgow University
One protestor at the University of Glasgow, 21, from Edinburgh said: “The University called the police on yesterday's protest and barricaded us inside the Charles Wilson building, withholding supplies like water and food which had been donated to students that were with the cause.
“We will have to wait next week after the meeting with David Duncan, Deputy Vice Chancellor to see what effect this has had on the University.”
Hannah Taylor, a Master's student in Mathematics, led the cause, organising everything from the hunger strike to the rallies. However, due to her efforts she is now banned from the campus and is at risk of not being able to get a master's degree from the university. The protestors hope for the university to recognise their demands regarding where the funding is going and show people how impactful the war is on Palestinians.
The Israel/Palestine conflict has become a sensitive topic in recent years. Since 1943 the two countries have been at war. There was a standstill until 7th of October 2023, when the conflict restarted. The UK has showed support towards Israel during this war, which many people in the country are opposed to and have been voicing their opinions about.