Students in Britain stage protests at universities previously attended by Balfour, demanding an end to UK's support for Israel's occupation of Gaza.
Sparking a Global Wave: Students Demand Change at Campuses Worldwide
Stududents at two prestigious universities, Edinburgh and Cambridge – famously associated with Lord Arthur Balfour – have ignited a fiery pro-Palestinian movement on their campuses, bucking against Israel's ongoing conflict in Gaza with impassioned protests.
This new wave of demonstrations on campuses globally sees students erecting protest camps, demanding their institutions severs ties with Israeli academic institutions and companies linked to the Israeli military.
At Edinburgh, students donned Palestinian keffiyehs, expressing their demands during their protest at the Old College's steps. In a video captured Monday and provided to Middle East Eye by activists, a student with a loudspeaker addresses fellow protesters.
"We demand that the University of Edinburgh divest entirely from companies tied to Israel and complicit in the globally acknowledged oppression of the Palestinian people," the speaker exclaims.
Nevertheless, hundreds of students flocked to King's College at the University of Cambridge on Monday, pitching tents and echoing similar demands to the university's administration to cut ties with companies linked to Israel's war on Gaza.
The University of Cambridge has responded saying, "We support academic freedom and freedom of speech, yet we expect everyone in our community to treat each other with understanding and empathy. Our priority is the safety of all staff and students. We will not tolerate antisemitism, Islamophobia, or any other form of racial or religious hatred, or any unlawful activity."
In a similar statement, the University of Edinburgh asserted, "We support the right to lawful, peaceful, and respectful protest and are closely monitoring the situation to ensure safety for protestors while maintaining minimal disruption to staff, students, and visitors to our campus."
A Thorny History: Balfour's Lasting Impact
Balfour, a Cambridge alum from Trinity College, is infamous for his notorious Balfour Declaration – a promise of a Jewish homeland in Palestine that sowed the seeds for the Zionist settlement of historic Palestine and the displacement of its Arab population.
The Balfour Declaration, issued by Balfour as British Foreign Secretary in 1917, would ultimately pave the way for the Nakba of 1948 – the widespread expulsion of more than 700,000 Palestinians from their homes and the establishment of the Israeli state. Many of these displaced Palestinians found refuge in the Palestinian territory of Gaza, where their descendants reside today.
Numerous authorities worldwide are struggling to contain this escalating tide of pro-Palestinian protests on campuses.
In the U.S., law enforcement agencies have called in riot police to dismantle student encampments and remove students who have occupied university buildings. Members of Congress have proposed legislation to stifle these protests, defining criticism of Israel as a form of antisemitism, and calling on public bodies – such as universities – to uphold federal anti-discrimination laws.
In France, police have also intervened to remove protesters from multiple institutions, including Sciences Po.
This movement, reflecting widespread global concern, underscores a relentless call for change in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine.
[1] https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/pro-massive-protests-university-campuses-worldwide[3] https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/16/nyregion/columbia-university-protests.html[4] https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/mar/15/cambridge-university-scores-injunctions-against-pro-palestinian-protesters[5] https://www.thelocal.nl/20230318/unrest-on-netherlands-campuses-as-special-meetings-convened-on-palestinian-rights/
- The media has been analyzing the ongoing global wave of student protests, focusing on the Middle East, particularly Palestine and Israel, where students are calling for their universities to sever ties with academic institutions and companies linked to the Israeli military.
- Amidst this movement, the Middle East Eye reported that students at both Edinburgh and Cambridge universities have been actively protesting, demanding their universities to divest from companies tied to Israel and those complicit in the oppression of the Palestinian people.
- In response to these protests, some universities, like Cambridge and Edinburgh, have expressed support for academic freedom, freedom of speech, and peaceful protests, while emphasizing the importance of empathy, understanding, and safety for all members of their educational community.
- As this movement continues to spread across campuses worldwide, there's an increasing emphasis on education-and-self-development and learning about the complex and contested history of the Middle East, with a particular focus on the lasting impact of the Balfour Declaration and the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine.
