PROTESTERS have targeted a University of Glasgow building over the institution’s refusal to divest from arms firms supplying Israel.
Activist group Youth Demand said that two of its supporters had “used fire extinguishers to spray the James McCune Smith Learning Hub in red paint”.
Photos shared on social media showed police at the scene. The force later confirmed it had arrested two people.
One Youth Demand activist said: “I was forced into action today because Glasgow University has blatantly ignored the will of the majority of its students and staff, and insisted on continuing to invest in Israeli linked arms research.
“I’m enraged that I’ve been forced into complicity with the killing and maiming of Palestinian children, both by my university and by my government.”
A second protester added: “The Palestinian people are still under siege. No ceasefire will wash away the blame from our genocidal government.
“We demand our government stops arming the Israeli state and imposes a full trade embargo. Our institutions follow the lead of our government, who continue to trade and send arms to Israel, a state guilty of genocide. We refuse to be made complicit in the mutilation of children.”
Glasgow University has faced staff anger after its ruling court decided to ignore the results of a survey which found that around most staff (81%) and student (86%) respondents were in favour of completely divesting from arms firms supplying Israel.
The endowment fund was worth £262 million at the end of July 2024. A publicly available list of investments from 2023 includes shares in weapons firms linked to Israel such as BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin, and Thales.
Last month, there were also protests on campus after the university hosted Michael Gove, who had called for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to be given the Nobel Peace Prize.
A Glasgow University spokesperson said: "This incident is now an on going 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."
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Around 10am on Thursday, 6 February, 2025, we were called to a report of vandalism at a premises in the Gilmorehill area of Glasgow.
"Officers attended and two women, aged 22 and 24, were arrested in connection. Enquiries are ongoing."
