As the first pro-Palestine university encampments stood defiant at Columbia University and spread across the U.S., University of Manchester students were not far behind in getting organised and demanding an end to their own university's financial ties with Israel.
Now home to 71 tents with more than 100 residing protesters, there is a new buzz around Manchester city centre. University students, local activists, and even families with young children have set up camp in Brunswick Park, a beautiful green space at the heart of the UOM campus.
Israel's war on Gaza has led to the deaths of more than 34,000 Palestinians with over 1.7 million displaced, and 1.1 million enduring catastrophic food insecurity.
Students are demanding that the university divests from corporations which are profiting from Israels war in Gaza. The BDS movement has long supported divestment campaigns particularly from weapons manufacturers such as Lockheed Martin who saw their stock prices rocket at the start of the war.
The Palestinian Solidarity Campaign and BDS organisation confirm that Manchester University holds a total of $3.9 million complicit investments in companies including Allianz (shareholder of Elbit Systems), BAE, HSBC, Siemens, and Technion.
Sam, a fourth-year student at the university has played a pivotal role in the setting up and organisation of the camp. He explained how the purpose of the camp is to express solidarity with the Palestinian people, advocate for their rights, and call for an end to university complicity in the war in Gaza.
So far the university has remained tight-lipped regarding the students' demands. They have also refused to commit to a no disciplinary agreement for students who participate in the occupation. This means that students could face suspension or worse for exercising their right to freedom of speech.
It was made clear that Jewish students have been very much a part of the Manchester occupation and pro-peace movement. Walking around the camp there is an air of community, solidarity, and hope. Under a marquee there are stacks of food and other items piled high which have been donated by the local community to show their support.
There is an information board which lists the daily activities taking place at the encampment including vegan dinners, workshops, marches, and drum circles. The camp is tidy, well organised, and has provided a gathering place for likeminded citizens who feel called to show their support and put pressure on those complicit in human rights violations.
So far activities at the camp have remained peaceful and the local police are monitoring the situation from a distance. Protesters have been met with hostility from local Zionist groups who see the student's actions as an attack on Israel rather than a call for peace and an end to human suffering.
The Manchester University encampment is part of a broader occupy campus movement which is spreading across UK universities including Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, Bristol, Sheffield, Leeds, and Newcastle, as well as in countries all over the world.
Author: Rachael Mellor, writer for Better World Info 09.05.24 licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0
