JMS Learning Hub targeted in spray-paint vandalism

Activist group Youth Demand have taken responsibility for vandalising the James McCune-Smith Learning Hub (JMS) early this morning. 

The glass front of the £90 million building on University Avenue has been sprayed with red paint along its entire ground-floor exterior.

A video released on Instagram by the group shows two individuals, who named themselves as Hannah Taylor, 24, and Catriona Roberts, 22, spraying red paint across the JMS glass facade before glueing themselves to the ground in front of the building.

In the video, one of the alleged vandals states: “The University of Glasgow has invested millions in arms research, in arms investment. They have made us all complicit, our tuition fees are going directly to causing a genocide in Palestine…All Glasgow University students are complicit.

”It is our job to stand up and demand a trade embargo with Israel and the UK in order to prevent further complicity of the UK in the Palestinian genocide.”

The protesters were arrested shortly after the demonstration. The vandalised glass facade remains cordoned off. 

Some students have shared images of the vandalism on social media alongside expressing support of Palestine. 

Last semester saw a consultation for students and staff on the University’s Socially Responsible Investment policy. This led to a vote by the University Court in November in favour of a new ‘Sustainable and Responsible Investment Policy’ which didn’t include divesting from arms companies such as BAE systems and Thales. 

This news comes after the University is alleged to have threatened to expel students in the activist group Glasgow Against Arms and Fossil Fuels (GAAF) who take part in direct action. 

Hillhead Review understands that only one of the individuals is a student at the University.

The University of Glasgow told Hillhead Review, "This incident is now an ongoing police matter and as a result we cannot comment on it specifically.

"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 at all times."

Who are Youth Demand?

Youth Demand is an activist group which formed at the beginning of 2024 as a student offshoot of the climate change campaign group Just Stop Oil. While we've seen Just Stop Oil be active on campus before, notably disrupting lectures at the JMS in 2022, this is the first time Youth Demand have taken direct action at Glasgow. 

While the group was originally focused on direct action relating to Climate Change, in recent months they have pivoted towards protesting the actions of the IDF in Gaza, as well as Britain's response. Last month a ceasefire was reached in the conflict which some argue has seen nearly 50,000 casualties - the vast majority of whom are Palestinian.

In April of last year they protested what they see as UK complicity in the Israel/Gaza war by placing children's shoes outside of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's home. The group are now calling for a UK to enact an embargo of Israel in response to the war.

The student campaign group Glasgow Against Arms and Fossil Fuels (GAAF) who have engaged in direct action on campus previously have shared Youth Demand's video of the protest on social media, although they don't appear to be directly involved.

Youth Demand’s campaigns up until now seem to have been focused around London. In their Instagram post showing the arrest of the protestors, they said: "We must resist and force Keir Starmer’s government and all complicit organisations to enforce a complete trade embargo on Israel" and mentioned plans to "shut down London for a month."

In an interview last August, a member of Youth Demand said: "People have to come together and take material disruptive action that gives us genuine leverage to force politicians to meet our demands. This means sitting down on roads. This means blocking traffic.This means physically putting our bodies on the line to cause mass disruption that forces politicians to take the actions we know they wouldn’t do if left on their own. We have to get organised for mass civil resistance."

Published 6 Feb 2025 10:45 - Updated 15:53