Update (8th Feb): After we published this report, Glasgow Against Arms and Fossil Fuels released a statement on the end of the occupation via Instagram. Crucially it states: “Three terms were agreed [with university management]: a meeting was to be scheduled by the end of the week such that GAAF members could argue their case and demands to the Divestment working group; a guarantee that on the 14th of February the university court will discuss the conclusions drawn from the Divestment working group meetings; and occupants, students and staff would not face repercussions for their peaceful protest.”
It is with marked regret that Heckle reports the student occupation at 11 University Gardens has come to an end. As I explained in our previous call for solidarity, the occupiers — members of Glasgow Against Arms and Fossil Fuels (GAAF) — had the goal of getting the University of Glasgow to divest from its investments in the arms industry, and intended to remain in place as long as possible in order to pressure university management.
Sadly, on the morning of Tuesday 6th February, university security guards began to evict the occupation. They entered the building in an attempt to remove the members of GAAF, but the occupiers were able to barricade themselves in a single room on the ground floor of the building. The eviction thus hindered, a stand-off ensued, with security letting out anyone who wanted to leave, but stopping anyone from going back in.
A call for support was put out just before 10am, and a crowd of supporters began to gather from then onwards. Seeing the news, I made my way over as soon as I could to join the demonstration. Further information was circulated by the occupiers that the deputy vice-chancellor of the university, David Duncan, would be arriving at the occupation at 1pm to negotiate, and an emergency demonstration was called for that time.
And so we amassed outside the occupation, chanting pro-Palestine slogans and trying to keep warm in the February cold.
At one point, a supporter tried to pass a box of food to the occupiers, but the only window through which food could be passed was blocked by security guards. The supporter asked to be allowed to pass the box to the window, but a guard said no. The guard then said he would take the box and pass it on, but instead of taking it to the window, he took it inside. Of course, the occupation’s last remaining line of defence was the door into their room, so opening it up to food was out of the question, given that to do such a thing would let the guards in to complete the eviction. In practical terms, the occupiers were being denied food.
When Duncan arrived, we greeted him with chants of:
“David Duncan, shame on you!
You’ve got blood on your hands too!”
and
“David Duncan, you can’t hide!
Stop supporting genocide!”
He went inside to negotiate, and our demo continued. There was a speaker playing protest music, and a GAAF supporter distributed copies of a statement by the group, a photo of which we reproduce below.
This was followed by a speech explaining the demands of the occupation, outlining the commitment of GAAF to their aims and condemning the attempts of the university to kick the matter of divestment into the long grass by delaying discussion of it.
Now, before Duncan arrived, an email went out to all students and staff at the University of Glasgow, with David Duncan’s name attached. We have the text of it below the article for you to read, but particular attention needs to be paid to this section:
“Following a petition last semester, the University has set up a working group chaired by a lay member of Court (the University’s governing body) to consider the issue of divestment in the defence sector and related matters. This group will report to Court, which is expected to make a final decision by June at the latest. We have informed GAAF that they are very welcome to engage with the working group and have also offered a meeting with the Principal to discuss their demands.”
For GAAF, June is far too late. June is far too late when genocide is in motion, and when university money is helping to facilitate industrial murder. GAAF want action sooner rather than later, and the concessions of university management so far do not live up to their urgent demands — they feel that continuing direct action will be necessary if timely steps towards divestment are not taken. With all that is at stake, there is no time to waste!
As such, the negotiations did not result in much. Duncan left the building to the same chants that chased him in, and they followed him as he walked off towards University Avenue. But there was not much more word from the occupiers at that point. Security continued to stand in front of the door, and we supporters continued to stand outside, our numbers thinned by people peeling off for lectures or work.
At 3pm, a new message went out from the occupiers, asking for people to mobilise at the occupation for 3.30pm. This communication stated that it would be the last such call for help, and murmur went about among the remaining crowd that the occupiers would be leaving at 3.30pm.
And indeed, this was what happened. In the end, the situation was untenable. A single room with difficult access to food and water (and, crucially, no toilet) is no base from which to maintain an occupation. Whether or not the security would have given up eventually is immaterial. The occupiers were not in a good position to keep going.
When the occupiers emerged, it was to joy and applause. They did so by choice, and I am glad to say that they were not roughed-up in leaving. The comrades had nothing but appreciation and support from us, and naturally so. The courage and determination of the GAAF comrades has been admirable, and no defeat can diminish that.
There were a few words of thanks and love, and the comrades made clear that the struggle isn’t over, even if this has been a momentary defeat. GAAF intends to keep the fight for divestment going regardless, with more actions to keep up the pressure on university management.
After that, we got down to transporting the bags and bags of donated clothes, cookware, books and miscellaneous supplies that all occupations accumulate. I took up a few bags and went with the comrades, as we strode off from 11 University Gardens to the flat of a GAAF supporter who was up for taking it all for the moment.
We must have made a strange sight, a hurried caravan of students and well-wishers, all hefting pots and pans and jackets and blankets and all sorts of random things down the road. Looking down at the bags I was holding as I went along with the comrades, I could see sleeping bags in one and a stack of books in the other, a few by Camus and something from Wellred, the Trotskyist publisher, at the top.
I cast my mind back to other moments like this that I’ve known: the panicky mix of disappointment, relief, and determination, the cartloads of bric-a-brac, the rush from the beaten occupation to friendly ground and a moment’s rest — I recalled all these things in the faces, voices and possessions of the comrades, and I felt a bittersweet nostalgia for my own student days.
It remains for GAAF to prepare and produce its own tactical reflections on this occupation, and to plan out a strategy for the future. We of course do not make any claims to, nor do we wish to, influence these matters, being simple onlookers, though sympathetic ones at that.
All that need be said by us now, is that we stand in total solidarity with GAAF and we congratulate them for their bravery. We call upon all sections of the workers’ movement to render the utmost support to them in any future actions, and we demand resolute action if university management dare take any action to punish a single member or supporter of the group.
Till next time!
Speed the day!
David Duncan’s email:
Dear Colleagues and Students,
I am writing to update you on the sit-in at 11 University Gardens.
The sit-in began on 22 January; since then staff and students have been unable to use the building for teaching or to access offices. While the sit-in has been entirely peaceful and no damage appears to have been done to property, the action has caused disruption to classes and inconvenience and stress for colleagues. At all times, our overriding priority has been the health and safety of everyone involved.
The University upholds the right of students and staff to express their political views and to exercise free speech. However, we took the decision yesterday to lock the doors of the building – henceforth, the student protestors (organised under Glasgow Against Arms and Fossil Fuels – GAAF) will be allowed out of number 11 University Gardens whenever they wish but will not be allowed back in. The students had announced that they proposed to use the building for community events; this meant that non-members of the University community could be allowed in, creating a potential health and safety risk.
Following a petition last semester, the University has set up a working group chaired by a lay member of Court (the University’s governing body) to consider the issue of divestment in the defence sector and related matters. This group will report to Court, which is expected to make a final decision by June at the latest. We have informed GAAF that they are very welcome to engage with the working group and have also offered a meeting with the Principal to discuss their demands.
On 4 February, the student group expanded its demands to include, amongst other points, a proposal that the University of Glasgow should donate £100m to the rebuilding of the Islamic University of Gaza. This and other demands will be put to the University Court at its next meeting. In the meantime, the University position on the conflict in the Middle East remains the same – we have called for the immediate release of all hostages and a humanitarian ceasefire (we are possibly the only university in the UK or one of very few to make this call) and are actively exploring what we can do to support those affected by the conflict (including colleagues at the Islamic University of Gaza). We are in contact with student groups affected by the conflict in various ways and stand ready to provide personal support to any member of the University community who needs it.
I am especially grateful to colleagues in the Security team who have been on hand throughout and who have handled matters with their usual professionalism and care.
We will share further information as and when it becomes available.
David Duncan
Chief Operating Officer and University Secretary
