By Libby Mashedi

Pro-Palestinan protesters stormed Firth Court at 12.30pm yesterday, disrupting Vice Chancellor Koen Lambert’s speech at The Education Awards 2024 calling the university to cut all ties with Israel.

The protesters, led by the Sheffield Campus Coalition for Palestine (SCCP), had three main demands.

They called for the university and AMRC (Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre)’s divestment to stop all involvement in the arms trade, specifically weapon manufacturers such as BAE Systems, Boeing and Rolls Royce.

They also demanded the university sever all ties to Israeli universities which “uphold Israel’s violent machinery of occupation, oppression and genocide against Palestinans.”

Calling for a boycott of all Israeli companies and affiliated institutions; including Israeli affiliated software being used to “surveil students” here in Sheffield including DuoMobile and iSheffield.

Thirdly, they demanded that the university redirects resources towards weapons manufacturing, towards sustainable and holistic industries. Further calling for more transparency and accountability regarding financial investments and profits.

Protestors asked members of staff to come on stage and stand alongside as a sign of solidarity which some did.

Lisa Bradley, Director of Journalism at the University of Sheffield, who was at the event said “Protestors gave passionate speeches and the event was called to a close as a result.”

Vice Chancellor Koen Lambert walked out and the event was cancelled.

University of Sheffield Lecturer, Dr Lisa Stampnitzky, said of the encampment: “I am proud to see our students taking a stand and joining this worldwide movement against the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Our university needs to confirm its commitment to be an ethical institution and divest itself of ties to the development of weapons used to perpetrate atrocities.”

A SCCP media liaison later commented “We are willing to enter negotiations with Koen Lambert if he is willing to enter negotiations with us.”

In an open letter addressed to the leaders of the University of Sheffield and Hallam, alumni wrote “.Those of us who are alumni will withhold all financial support to our alma maters until the demands of the Palestine Solidarity Encampment are met” in solidarity.

Protestors alleged that the University of Sheffield had previously refused to acknowledge the group’s demands, as set out at the start of the encampment, that began at the Students’ Union a week prior.

A student member of the SCCP said, “Their policy is to pretend that there is no anger amongst students, staff, and community members and to hope that the problem goes away.

“This action sends a message that, as long as our university remains complicit in genocide, we are not going away. ”

For more information, visit palestine.sccp on Instagram or palestine_sccp on X.