Activists from Glasgow University Justice for Palestine Society (GUJPS) have pitched tents on Library Hill, and branded the area the “Dima Al Haj Liberated Zone,” after the University of Glasgow alumni Dima Abdullatif Mohammed Alhaj who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza in 2023.
It is currently unclear how long activists plan to remain in situate. The GUJPS’s Instagram account has shared videos of the encampment, calling for the University to “free Palestine” and “stop the genocide.”
The encampment follows a major increase in protests over the University’s investment in arms companies in the previous week. Several protesters claim to be on hunger strike, alongside the occupation of the Charles Wilson Building, and the blockade of University Avenue.
Hillhead Review understands that so far no student has faced punishement from the University or the police for last week’s protests.
Chief Operating Officer David Duncan agreed to meet with GUJPS to discuss their “demands”, for the University to immediately divest from the arms trade. Hillhead Review understands that he also met with the University of Glasgow Jewish Society to discuss their concerns surrounding the language used in some of the protests, including calls to “ban all Zionisits” from campus.
The Student Representative Council (SRC) will hold an indicative online referendum opening on Wednesday. This will ask all students whether they believe the University should stop investing in companies that earn more than 10% of their revenue from the arms industry.
However, David Duncan told Hillhead Review that, “the University Court has been clear that it will continue to invest endowment funds in the defence sector,” despite the SRC referendum, and the rampant increase in student activism on campus.
When approached for comment, a spokesperson for the University said: “The University of Glasgow upholds the right to freedom of expression, including the right of staff and students to engage in peaceful demonstrations. However, we do not tolerate activities which interfere with the rights of others to go about their business in peace.
“As an institution we stand against hate or harassment of any kind. We regularly communicate with all our staff and students about the need for tolerance towards each other, and we reiterate this call for all members of our community to be respectful to each other at all times”
However, the University declined to comment on whether or not they intend to evict the newly-formed encampment.
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