Queen Mary Students Establish ‘QMUL Liberated Zone’ in Solidarity with Palestine

Ansar Ahmed Ullah:

On Monday afternoon, a group of students from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) set up an encampment outside the Queens Building to protest the ongoing crisis in Gaza and call for action from the university administration. The encampment, dubbed the ‘QMUL Liberated Zone,’ is a demonstration of solidarity with the people of Palestine.

The students are condemning the ongoing violence and human rights violations in Gaza, which they have described as a “genocide.” They are urging QMUL to take concrete steps to break its institutional ties and perceived complicity with the Israeli assault on Palestinian territories.

The key demands put forth by the QMUL students include divestment from companies such as Booking.com, Barclays, and Siemens, including financial accounts, and a pledge not to invest or enter into contracts with any company complicit in the oppression of Palestinians, severing ties with Israeli universities, establishment of a scholarship scheme specifically for Palestinian students, particularly those in Gaza, the West Bank, or refugee camps in neighbouring countries, release of an official statement from QMUL condemning the violence in Gaza and expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people and support for individuals wronged in the conflict, including QMUL Professor Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, and a pledge to assist alumni trapped within Gaza.

The students have vowed to maintain their encampment until the university administration meets or addresses their demands. The QMUL Liberated Zone serves as a powerful symbol of solidarity with the Palestinian cause and a call for action against human rights violations.