Students across the city from the University of Sheffield and Hallam walked out of their lectures and attended a rally which called for a ceasefire in the Israeli-Palestine war.
The protest began at the University of Sheffield’s student union, which was quickly moved elsewhere by security.
It carried onto the City Council Building, where members of the Palestine Societies, from both universities, called for an end to fighting in the Gaza Strip.
Hanzalah Yaqub, Vice President of the University of Sheffield Palestine Committee said: “I think throughout history student bodies across the world have led efforts of activism, efforts of political action, and collective action. Student bodies are supposed to be a bastion of justice, equality, and rights for all across the globe.
“Therefore, it is absolutely vital we do this, especially at our university which is so complicit in the Israeli genocide of the Palestinian people.
“The amount of money the university makes, the number of contracts that they have and the type of research they are funding is awful.
“We as students who come to this university and pay fees, should have a right to say and call out the principles and ethics that the university is meant to be maintaining.”
Students also expressed anger towards the university’s partnership with Boeing, BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce and called for an end to their development of weaponry.
Mr Yaqub said: “There are so many things we can do as students, to stand up for Palestinian suffering.
The first thing is to always educate yourself, understand the historical context of what is going on, and understand the role of your university and country in the context of this war.
“After that, educate others, let people know what is happening and spread the word that collective activism, community grass root work, is actually capable of making a change.”
