Pro-Palestine demonstrations outside London university 'complicit in Israel's crimes and genocide'

Pro-Palestine demonstrations outside London university 'complicit in Israel's crimes and genocide'

WATCH: Darren Grimes hits out at Palestine protesters

GB News
George Bunn

By George Bunn


Published: 14/05/2024

- 17:01

Updated: 14/05/2024

- 17:53

Protesters have released a report accusing the university

Protesters have gathered at a London university, demanding the faculty "divest from genocide, arms trade, and climate breakdown."

An encampment has been set up inside the London School of Economics (LSE) with protesters setting up tents inside the campus building.


It comes as the LSE Student Union's Palestine Society has published a new report, accusing the university of having investments worth over £48million that are "involved in crimes against the Palestinian people."

The university has told GB News that they would "carefully consider" the accusations made in the report.

\u200bProtests have been held at the London university

Protests have been held at the London university

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\u200bBanners were held outside the university

Banners were held outside the university

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The report said: "LSE currently invests in fossil fuels, arms manufacture, and crimes against the Palestinian people, making the university complicit in genocide. Particularly, most of the mutual funds in LSE’s investments portfolio contain companies involved in the egregious activities of interest.

"These include arms companies that produce nuclear weapons, fossil fuel companies, and even a tobacco company. LSE also has a significant part of its portfolio invested in financial institutions that fund these types of companies

"As governments across the world begin to sever their ties with Israel and debate an arms embargo, and as students are protesting to demand divestment from companies complicit in genocide, LSE exposes itself to possible legal consequences in the future for its financing and enabling of genocide.

"It is in LSE’s interest to confront this issue now and establish a sustainable and morally sound investment strategy. This strategy should address the complex web of global capital that entangles fossil fuel extraction, arms proliferation, and human rights violations, including those against the Palestinian people."

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\u200bA new report accusing the university of being complicit in genocide

A new report accusing the university of being complicit in genocide

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An LSE Spokesperson told GB News: "We will carefully consider the Pal Soc report and respond in due course.

"LSE is committed to strengthening our approach to responsible investment in line with our Environmental, Social and Governance Policy, which was adopted in 2022 with the aid of student input.

"This policy includes LSE not making direct or, as far as possible, indirect investments in companies engaged in tobacco manufacture or indiscriminate arms manufacture.

"It also seeks to eliminate direct investments, and greatly reduce exposure of indirect investments, to the worst polluting fossil fuels."

Woman wearing Palestine flag

It comes in a long string of campus protests

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Earlier today, Tuesday, Israel's Foreign Affairs Minister Egypt must be "persuaded" to reopen the Rafah border crossing in southern Gaza to "allow the continued delivery of international humanitarian aid".

Israel Katz said in a statement, "the key to preventing a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip is now in the hands of our Egyptian friends", adding foreign critics blaming Israel for the humanitarian situation in the strip are misguided.

He also said the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas will "not control the Rafah crossing - this is a security necessity on which we will not compromise."

It comes Israeli protesters wrecked trucks carrying humanitarian supplies bound for the enclave, which is facing a severe hunger crisis.

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