PRO-PALESTINIAN campaigners occupied Glasgow council’s headquarters and a university building in the city today.
Activists of the Gaza Genocide Emergency Committee (GGEC) entered Glasgow City Chambers in the morning, occupying the lobby as they demanded that the council take a stand against Israel’s ongoing massacre of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
One campaigner, who gave his name only as John, told the Morning Star: “We’re here because Glasgow City Council has completely failed to make any meaningful display of solidarity with the people of Gaza and Palestine and that’s four months on.”
Referring to Glasgow being the first place in the world to give Nelson Mandela the freedom of the city, an honour it conferred in 1981, another campaigner told the Star: “I’ve always been proud of the role this city played fighting South African apartheid and fighting for the underdog.
“This city flew the Palestinian flag 10 years ago for Gaza. Why can’t they do it now? It’s cowardly.”
Meanwhile, in the city’s West End, student group Glasgow Against Arms and Fossil Fuels occupied the University of Glasgow’s Hetherington building.
The activists vowed to remain there until the institution agrees not only to withdraw its investments in arms companies but to ban them from recruiting on campus.
One student occupying the building said: “They are profiting from the arms used to kill Glasgow University alumnus Dima Alhaj [in Gaza], along with her baby, husband and brothers. This is abhorrent.”
Another said: “They invest over £5 million in the murderous arms industry, including over £1m in BAE Systems, who make missile systems for F-35 fighter jets — the same jets Israel is using right now in its genocidal bombardment of Palestinians in Gaza.
“Enough is enough. We will not leave this building until the university makes a firm, public commitment to divest from these merchants of death.”
A university spokesperson said: “Consideration about further divestment from the defence sector must go through university governance and will be taken forward by a working group which includes student representatives, with a final decision for the university court in due course.”
Glasgow City Council was contacted for comment.
