Hundreds of students from over 30 UK universities protested against their institutions’ complicity in Israel’s violations of human rights yesterday.
The Palestinian Solidarity Campaign (PSC) called for the action to mark the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People as part of its “Apartheid Off Campus” campaign, which seeks to highlight how universities’ investment and partnership policies tacitly support and enable Israel’s ongoing violations of international law and human rights.
Today, UN Day of Solidarity with Palestine, 30 students groups across the UK will take action to urge universities to end their complicity with Israel’s grave human rights violations against the Palestinian people.
Join them to say #ApartheidOffCampus! https://t.co/OqXEpDlXF2 pic.twitter.com/6ncAAf1KTT
— BDS Movement (@BDSmovement) November 29, 2018
Chair of KCL Action Palestine Society Zobia Shahid said:
“We’re joining thousands of students across the UK taking action today because we believe students should have a say in the investments and partnerships made by their universities, and we do not want those links to contribute to the ongoing oppression of Palestinian people.”
She added:
“At KCL, we’ve just launched a campaign against the university’s links with the Technion which has helped create machines which destroy Palestinian homes. We will not accept this happening in our name.”
Spent today being inspired by the dedicated, creative active solidarity of students at more than 30 UK campuses. Thankyou to all those who took part and are working hard to make their unis apartheid free zones #ApartheidOffCampus pic.twitter.com/FpzjD0aLxK
— Ben Jamal (@BenJamalpsc) November 29, 2018
Huda Ammori, campaigns officer at the PSC, said:
“Despite most institutions holding ‘social responsibility policies’ which often include restrictions on investing in companies who conduct business which leads to human rights violations, UK universities remain deeply complicit with Israel’s crimes against Palestinians. In the face of such blatant hypocrisy by UK universities, students are doing vital work holding their institutions to account and demanding they live up to their word.”
Actions include rallies, marches, and banner drops, as well as a range of creative actions such as the construction of a Separation Wall and staging a die in.
(MEMO, PC, Social Media)
