Spirit of Sixties revived as student protests at links with Israel spread

A FRESH student sit-in was under way last night as 1960s-style protests appeared to be making a comeback in Scotland's universities.

The occupation of Edinburgh University's George Square lecture theatre at noon yesterday is the fourth such protest to be held at a Scottish university in two weeks, as students voice opposition to links with Israel following its bombing of Gaza.

Already, the protests have led to university authorities at Strathclyde agreeing to end a contract with Eden Springs, an Israeli water company.

Observers have said that, although the movement, which has swept 24 campuses across Britain, does not match the energy and turnout of Vietnam War-era marches, the protests are the most culturally significant in over a decade.

Dr Keith Kahn-Harris, a sociologist at the Centre for Urban and Community Research at Goldsmiths College in London, said: "This shows a significant increase in activism. However, student activism is still a relatively minority activity compared to its heyday.

"It has to be seen in proportion, and it is a significant movement, but I do not think it is going to get much bigger."

Students at Strathclyde, Glasgow and Dundee universities have urged their institutions to denounce the Gaza assault and cut all links with Israeli organisations.

Mick Napier, of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC), said: "It destroys the myth of student apathy."

Lucy Brown, a third-year politics and sociology student at Strathclyde, said: "This feels like a movement; it is really exciting."

The students want universities to sever alleged funding links with the arms company BAe Systems, cancel contracts with Israeli water distributor Eden Springs and provide scholarships for Palestinian students.

Last night, students were preparing to bed down for a third night at Glasgow University's computer science building. Five delegates met the principal, Sir Muir Russell, at noon yesterday to discuss their demands. Charles Kennedy, the university's rector and a former leader of the Liberal Democrats, had pledged to speak with the students.

Last night, campaigners denied that groups such as Stop the War and the SPSC were mobilising the students into action.

Asif Dean, an SPSC spokesman, said: "It's individuals getting together to express their anger off their own bats. It is not something we are organising."

Dr Kahn-Harris said: "I think the groups making their voices heard here are a mixture of both individuals and national groups co-ordinating grassroots activity. There is no one affiliated movement here – some of them are the Socialist Workers' Party, some of them are Stop the War, some of them are Palestinian solidarity campaigners and some support is coming from Muslim groups as well."

Spokesmen for the universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow said they were doing all they could to bring the sit-ins to a conclusion, so as to minimise disruption to students.

Government defends dealings with Israel

THE government has been unstinting in demanding Israel allows "free and unfettered" access to Gaza following the recent conflict in the region, Douglas Alexander, the International Development Secretary, said yesterday.

Mr Alexander said aid items not getting through included school textbooks and "plastic bags the UN use to distribute food aid". Labour's Christine Russell called on the government to put pressure on Israel to "make sure there is free movement" across border crossings for aid workers and the "essential supplies they are taking in".

And Labour's Richard Burden said: "The latest report from the United Nations Humanitarian coordinator not only complains that the crossings into Gaza remain closed for far too much of the time but that lists of priority items for humanitarian aid supplied by the UN are still being refused entry by Israel".

Mr Alexander told MPs: "We have been unstinting both in our demand of the Israeli government that there should be free and unfettered access for the aid."