Cambridge Students Demand Divestment from Israeli Firms
(MENAFN) Students at the University of Cambridge have launched a protest encampment urging the university to completely withdraw its financial connections with Israeli companies, particularly those involved in arms production or military support for Israel.
The demonstration began Monday beneath the iconic "Newton Tree" at Trinity College—a tree believed to be a descendant of the one that sparked Isaac Newton’s discovery of gravity.
In reaction, the college administration erected wooden barricades and tarps to obscure the protest and called for the demonstration to end. Refusing to back down, students relocated their encampment to the grounds of St. John’s College.
Concerned for their academic standing and personal safety, numerous students chose to hide their identities by covering their faces.
In a statement to a news agency, a protester using the alias Hancock Davies asserted that the university holds substantial financial stakes in the Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems.
“Trinity College ordered an eviction because they don’t understand our demands. Their only response is suppression. They refuse to take responsibility for the sources of their financial gains,” Davies stated.
He underlined the demonstrators’ strong alliance with Palestinians and called on Trinity College to end its associations with businesses he accused of being complicit in acts of genocide.
"People here don't want to live next to institutions that profit from or support massacres abroad," Davies continued, reinforcing the moral stance of the protest.
Another participant, identifying as Carl, appealed to all Cambridge colleges to follow the example of King’s College, which has begun reconsidering its financial ties due to student pressure.
Carl highlighted additional demands from the student body, including scholarships for Palestinian learners and aid for the reconstruction of Gaza’s severely damaged education infrastructure, following extensive military bombardments by Israeli forces.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
