A STUDENT who has been banned from the University of Glasgow campus after staging a protest must be welcomed back, the institution's rector has said.
Hannah Taylor was banned from the campus and told she cannot attend lectures or tutorials having been accused of "misconduct" during a demonstration in February.
Taylor – who is a member of a group called Youth Demand – acted with another student to spray the James McCune Smith Learning Hub in water soluble paint as part of a call for the University of Glasgow to divest from the arms trade.
The university has more than £6.8m worth of investments in the arms industry, and has also received around £600,000 in research funding from BAE Systems and Rolls Royce since 2017, according to the Glasgow University Arms Divestment Coalition.
The pair were arrested but have so far not been convicted of any crime.
Taylor prevously told The National she is now concerned for her progress in studying for a maths Masters as she fears the ban could last for the duration of her course.
Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah has now called for the ban to be reversed, accusing bosses of an "authoritarian" response to protest.
"On February 6th 2025, Hannah Taylor and another student sprayed Glasgow University with water-soluble paint to protest the University’s refusal to divest from the arms trade – where the institution holds £6.8m worth of shares," he told The Herald.
"Since then, Hannah has been banned from campus, denying her access to her lectures, tutorials and possibly her exams.
"This disproportionate and authoritarian response is in keeping with a concerted effort to crack down on student activism for Palestine on campuses around the globe.
Abu-Sittah went on to say the university was going against its motto in punishing a student for "exposing the truth".
"Glasgow University’s motto is ‘Via, Veritas, Vita’ (the way, the truth, the life). Now this liberal facade has fallen. Today, Glasgow’s students are punished, threatened and intimidated for exposing the truth of their institution’s role in facilitating imperialism’s crimes.
"But the students will not be deterred. Not in Glasgow. Not anywhere. Glasgow University must immediately lift the ban on Hannah Taylor.”
In an email seen by The National, the university told Taylor that failure to adhere to the ban will constitute a breach of the student code of conduct and would be "treated accordingly".
She was told the "precautionary measure" will be reviewed on a monthly basis.
A university spokesperson said: "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 unlawful 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."
