The independent student newspaper of the University of Glasgow
Protesters occupy Charles Wilson Building
The pro-Palestine protestors plan to continue their sit-in all day
Protestors from student activist groups Glasgow Against Arms & Fossil Fuels (GAAF) and Glasgow University Justice for Palestine Society (GUJPS) have occupied the Sir Charles Wilson Building (CWB), blocking all entrances.
In an email sent to all students and staff, Deputy Vice Chancellor David Duncan said, “We will seek to reschedule classes timetabled for the CWB lecture theatre and will issue further communications in due course. Security staff are on hand to ensure safety and wellbeing of all staff and students.”
In a video shared to Instagram, GAAF and GUJPS have listed their demands from the University; “The immediate and unconditional divestment of Glasgow University’s £6.8 million invested in arms, the cutting of research ties worth £60 million with arms companies, the banning of all Zionists from campus, and no repercussions for student activists, including the Youth Demand activists (Hannah Taylor).
“Over the last month, the University has held shameless zionist Michael Gove in this building. The normalisation of zionism on this campus help to manufacture consent for Israel’s ongoing genocide.”
The activist groups picketed an event on campus featuring Michael Gove and Humza Yousaf in January. Some protestors accused Gove of “complicity in genocide” due to his earlier comments in The Jewish Chronicle.
The GAAF and GUJPS Instagram pages have shared photos of their plans to create an “educational space to counteract colonial and Zionist narratives on campus.” This apparently includes lectures and films.
Images from GAAF's Instagram show the main lecture theatre of the Charles Wilson.
The activists have also stated that they are renaming the Sir Charles Wilson Building to the Ahmad Manasra Building. Aged thirteen, Manasra was convicted of attempted murder against an Israeli man, although was later found not to have been involved. He was recently released from prison.
There is a demonstration planned for 12:30pm on Library Hill, primarily aiming to demand the University lift their campus-ban on Hannah Taylor. She was allegedly banned from campus following the vandalism of the James McCune Smith Learning Hub.
The occupation follows an increase in pro-Palestinian and pro-divestment protests across campus, including the hard picket of the Rankine Building last month.
Last year, GAAF occupied 11 University Gardens for two weeks in protest of the University’s investment in arms companies such as BAE Systems and Thales.
Following the University’s decision to keep investing in arms companies in November, GAAF told Hillhead Review that they were calling for “bolder action from students.”
The University told Hillhead Review that all teaching in the Sir Charles Wilson building "has been successfully relocated to other buildings."
"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."
Published 7 March 2025 - 11:14 - Updated 18:13