Pro-Palestine Bristol university students barricade campus building

Pro-Palestine Bristol university students barricade campus building

WATCH NOW: A separate protester pours paint over Arthur Balfour's portrait

GB NEWS
Jack Walters

By Jack Walters


Published: 20/03/2024

- 15:54

Updated: 20/03/2024

- 16:22

Students are demanding the Russell Group university 'ends its complicity with genocide'

Pro-Palestine protesters at the University of Bristol have barricaded a campus building and say they will continue to wreak havoc until the 148-year-old educational institution "ends its complicity with genocide".

The small group of demonstrators used tables and chairs to blockade themselves inside the Wills Memorial Building at the University of Bristol.


Protesters walked into the building to peacefully lock themselves in at 12.30pm on Tuesday.

A number of other students opted to separately lock themselves in various parts of the West Country campus for 11 days and share the footage on TikTok.

Students are demanding the Russell Group university 'ends its complicity with genocide'Students are demanding the Russell Group university 'ends its complicity with genocide'TWITTER/MIA VINES BOOTH

Students targeted the Victoria Rooms on Queen's Road and later moved on to Tyndall Avenue.

Addressing the latest protest, political action group Student Action Bristol said: "We have just heard that some students have occupied the Wills Memorial building.

"Bristol University has so far ignored demands to end complicity in the genocide of Palestinians and SAB stands in solidarity with the occupiers. Free Palestine."

It continued: "As things stand, all doors are locked and no one can enter the hall, the occupiers say this will be the case until demands have been met.

PROTESTS ACROSS THE UK:
'Occupiers are now over 24 hours in the Great Hall,' Student Action Bristol

'Occupiers are now over 24 hours in the Great Hall,' Student Action Bristol

STUDENT ACTION BRISTOL

"After negotiations with the university to get doors unlocked the occupiers managed to expand the occupation and gain access to toilets and water."

Protesters have demanded no repercussions for anyone involved in the "occupation", food and medicine supplies, an end to all ties with arms companies, boycott Israel, take further action to support Palestine and expand protest rights across campus.

Demonstrators remained in the Great Hall just before 3pm today, a recent social media update has shown.

A number of social media users mocked the protesters after the image was released yesterday.

The reception room inside Wills Memorial Building

The reception room inside Wills Memorial Building

BRISTOL UNIVERSITY

One said: "I wonder if anyone's gonna provide humanitarian aid so they can continue their quixotic political campaign forever cost-free."

Another wrote: "I don't see the problem. Just walk away and leave the idiots in there.

"The brats need attention - it stems back to the days of wrong potty training."

A third added: "They're not damaging anything, they'll come out when they realise that the University of Bristol doesn't have a lot of diplomatic clout."

You may like