A pro-Palestine rally took place on the University’s Campus West at midday on Wednesday 2nd October.
The rally, which marched from Heslington Hall to Greg’s place at 13:00 BST, demanded that the University commit to fully cutting research ties with companies funding weapons manufacturing through research funds and grants.
Although the University announced its divestment from arms companies in April 2024, an anonymous member of the rally, who is a student at the University, said: “They [the University] still maintain deep research ties and complicity with arms companies and with genocide in Palestine.
“We are not fooled by their claims of divestment.
“There are still deep, deep ties at almost every level of this University and we don’t stop until they have fully divested.”
The protestors chanted and said: “Uni of York blood on your hands.”
The anonymous protestor stated that the University has still invited weapons manufacturers to the upcoming Careers Fair 2024 including MBDA who produce weapons and JCB whose weapons have allegedly been used in Gaza.
The University has received funding from BAE systems as one of over 30 research partners involved in an £8 million grant for a doctoral training centre focused on AI systems and safety.
In 2015, BAE systems gave the University £106161 in funding for research grants.
More than 600 research grants for UK universities have gone to joint projects with BAE Systems.
The anonymous protestor said: “That is research that is being used to produce weapons, that is being used to commit violations of human rights across the world including in Palestine.”
The University announced that it will stop investing in arms companies on 11th April 2024 through a public statement on the University’s website.
This statement followed pressure from student groups including protests at last year’s Careers Fair and an open letter which gained over 600 signatures calling for immediate divestment.
The statement read: “In 2024 the University confirmed it holds no investment in companies that primarily make or sell weapons and defence-related products or services.”
The group said that they felt their list of demands had not yet been met and that the University is still indirectly supporting Israel through research partnerships.
The Palestine encampment had a list of five demands for the University, four of which were met and led to the group’s decampment following 75 days of protest.
The demands included: cutting ties with weapons manufacturers; supporting Gaza’s university institutions; providing Palestinian students scholarships; a statement condemning the Palestinian genocide; and to help Fadi Hania, a University of York alumn and citizen of Gaza.
The rally was promoted on Instagram by the York Palestine Solidarity Encampment and the University’s Palestinian Solidarity Society in a post which said: “Join us on the 2nd of October at 1pm outside Heslington hall to demand the University of York cuts ties with genocide.”
A University spokesperson said: “We will always respect the right of our students and staff to peacefully protest within the law.
“Our new Research Reputation and Social Responsibility Framework ensures all research collaborations comply with government legislation, as well as our ethical, reputational and social responsibilities. It enshrines academic freedom as a fundamental principle, which is also an obligation under law.
“As a University we must uphold academic freedom, even if other members of our community object to the research some academics do, or the partnerships they build in doing it.”