Pro-Palestine student encampments that began in the US earlier this year quick began popping up around the world. Students across Britain, including in Bristol, pitched their tents on their institution’s greens and public spaces to send a clear message and have remained there for months.
The encampments were united by a simple cause: forcing academic institutions to divest funds from companies complicit in Israel’s genocide in Gaza. British universities alone have invested almost £4.3 billion in companies that fund, service or arm Israel, while flatly denying links to its regime.
Those camping out at the University of Bristol’s Royal Fort Gardens said they would remain there until the uni “ends its complicity”. It resisted attempts to clear them off, including a legal challenge from the university, before standing down after a two-month stand off.
In this second instalment of our new podcast series, People Just Do Something, reporters Priyanka and Isaac sit down with Daniel Green from the Palestine encampment at Cardiff University to discuss what it takes to organise one, including strategy, safeguarding, and communication.
“There were points when it was difficult to keep morale up,” Dan told the podcast, explaining that during heavy rain tents would be damaged, people’s things would get soggy. But he said the support from the wider community, with donations of food and equipment, meant that their action was more easily sustained.
Divestment was the number one demand students drew up in Cardiff, Dan says, adding that the university has tens of millions of pounds of investments in arms companies. He says Cardiff, like other universities, has dodged and ducked responsibility because the investments aren’t ‘direct’.
How can protesters continue to cut through this, and continue to make an impact?
The first series of People Just Do Something will run from August to October, with six episodes coming out every two weeks. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
