A year on from the encampment, Imperial students and staff are still ready to fight for divestment
Activists urge university to disclose and divest as protests resume for sixth consecutive term.
Wednesday 7th May saw student protestors return to Queen's Lawn calling on Imperial College, to end "student and staff repression", as well as cutting ties with companies accused of abetting alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Protestors took aim at both the College and the wider government response towards the current Israel-Palestine conflict. One speaker said that both Imperial management and the UK government "only cares about where the money comes from" with regards to investing in arms companies whose products and technology have been used by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). Previous actions by the ICL Action for Palestine group have highlighted Caterpillar Inc., BAE Systems, and Rolls-Royce.
Imperial is under further pressure as the local University and College Union (UCU) branch called for a "comprehensive response" in March 2025, addressing a "full disclosure of the University's investments in companies trading with Israel", an "explanation" on how the aforementioned investments align with ethics policies and the UN Principles of Technology of which Imperial is a signatory, and for future steps that Imperial would take with reference to recent UN statements and international legal frameworks.
Imperial's response, signed by Provost Ian Walmsley highlighted how the College's investments are made in accordance with Imperial College Council's investment strategy, the Socially Responsible Policy, as well as having recently engaged with students in an open forum in January 2025, as well as promising to "work with ICU officers on future fora" for students, with staff able to raise concerns through the In Conversation with and Professional Services fora.
The protest, the fourth major action of the year, was held by approximately 30 activists from the Imperial community. It is part of a series of events happening both on and off Imperial's campuses as part of a national week of action.
The protestors held signs calling for Imperial management to divest, and chanted slogans such as "the more you try to silence us, the louder we will get", "disclose divest, we will not stop, we will not rest", and "students united will never be defeated". Several of the protestors wore the keffiyeh, a Palestinian headdress traditionally worn by peasants and Bedouins to protect from the sun, now used as a symbol of solidarity with the Palestinian cause around the world.
It was noted several times that approximately a year had elapsed since Imperial Action for Palestine held an encampment on Queen's Lawn. The original encampment began on 23rd May 2024, lasting almost a month before ending to accomodate for Summer Ball.
The Israeli government has approved plans to escalate its offensive in Gaza, including a possible reoccupation of the Palestinian territory. Israel resumed its offensive in Gaza earlier this year in March following the breaking of a US-brokered ceasefire, as well as the cessation of food, fuel, medicine and aid supplies. 59 hostages remain in Gaza, with the most recent Palestinian Health Ministry data indicating a death toll of 52,500 Palestinians, following on from a death toll of 1,200 people and some 250 hostages, according to Israeli officials, taken during Hamas's attack on the Nova festival on 7th October 2023.
