Students at the University of Leicester are continuing in their amazing efforts to hold their university to account for their complicity in the genocidal onslaught in Gaza. On Friday (May 30) the students organised another huge rally on their campus which was well-supported by trade unionists from across the city, including from my own union, UNISON City Branch.
This latest University protest was held to coincide with an alumni dinner, and a handful of students succeeded in disrupting this event to raise their encampments demands for “Arms off Campus.” But earlier today (June 4) a group of students from the encampment went one further and occupied the university offices for the day. Upon hearing about the occupation the Leicester University and College Union (UCU) branch were quick to demonstrate their solidarity which they backed up by releasing the following statement on social media.
“Leicester UCU stands in solidarity with students who have launched a peaceful sit-in at the Fielding Johnson Building as part of their struggle in support of the Palestinian people. This follows the establishment of a student encampment on campus by students, which UCU has consistently supported.
“The students are rightly angry that the University of Leicester has ignored their demand to stop inviting arms firms on to campus to participate in careers events. These firms are linked to an industry supplying weapons that have been used to murder at least 36,000 Palestinians and reduce much of the Gaza strip to rubble.
“Israel has ignored the demand of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that it ceases its attack on Rafah. The ICJ is also investigating credible claims of genocide in Gaza. Firms that aid Israel in its persecution of the Palestinians are complicit with Israel’s crimes. They have no place in our universities, a position reaffirmed by the UCU national Congress in May, which strongly supported the student encampment movement and the campaign of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israeli-linked firms.
“Students have also demanded that the university commit to break off its relationship with Barclay’s Bank, which has invested £2 billion in nine companies that provide weapons or components of weapons systems used to attack Palestinians. Like the students, we wrote to the university on this matter, only to receive a disappointing and evasive response.
“The students have in addition called on the university to distance itself from emeritus professor Malcolm Shaw who has represented the Israeli government at the ICJ.
“The students who have protested for Gaza are the conscience of our academic community. They are the real “Citizens of Change” that the university describes as “citizens of the real world who are prepared to challenge the narrative, question established thinking, and change the things that matter”.
“Their struggle is our struggle.”
Yes: their struggle is everyone’s struggle. The struggle however is far from over, and upon ending the occupation one student summed up the defiant mood by saying:
“Today we successfully shut down the entire university management building for the working day, and further disruptions will occur until our demands are met. We leave today not in defeat, but as makers of history, the real citizens for change who will not rest until the university stands by the change that they are not willing to see.”
Thoughts of a Leicester Socialist 