Pro-Palestine students in the UK and the US have initiated campus occupations to demand divestment from companies involved in the arms trade with Israel amid its military campaign in Gaza.
Iran (IMNA) – In the UK, students at universities in Leeds, Newcastle, Bristol, and Sheffield have established encampments urging their institutions to cease investments linked to Israel's actions in the Palestinian territories.
Images shared by organizers depict students gathering in large numbers on campus grounds, accompanied by tents and banners advocating for divestment from companies supporting Israel's military activities. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign in the UK has voiced support for the protests, emphasizing the call for universities to disengage from investments contributing to what they term as Israel's "genocide."
Key demands of the protesting students include the cessation of investments in companies supplying arms to Israel and those operating in illegal settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. They also seek to sever ties with Israeli academic institutions perceived as complicit in the Palestinian crisis.
Simultaneously, similar demonstrations have unfolded in the US, with students urging universities to sever financial connections with entities associated with the Israeli regime. Instances of clashes and police intervention have been reported, underscoring the intensity of the protests and the resistance faced by participants advocating for divestment from Israel-related investments.
The global solidarity for Palestine has extended to Iraq, where university students and professors rallied in Baghdad in support of Gaza and echoed the sentiments of pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the US. In Gaza, Palestinians have expressed gratitude, particularly to students worldwide, for their solidarity in standing against the ongoing challenges faced by the Palestinian population.
Source: Imna