A statement from the SRC Executive.
On behalf of Glasgow University Students' Representative Council, we want to express our support to all students and staff who are affected by the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
We also wish to voice our unequivocal support of a maintained humanitarian ceasefire, as the Scottish Government, University of Glasgow, and multiple UN organisations have done before us.
It is crucial that all hostages are released immediately and safely, and that prioritisation is given to providing humanitarian relief to those directly affected by the horrifying violence that continues to unfold.
We are aware that the University is supporting the Israel and Occupied Palestine British Red Cross Appeal and encourage our community to donate to relief efforts where possible.
We would also like to acknowledge and commend the grassroots fundraising organised by a number of our student societies and encourage you to continue to support their initiatives.
At our most recent Council meeting, we passed a ‘Motion to Condemn the Current Violence in Gaza’ with a very clear majority. This motion asserted that our Council believes:
- That all people have the right to safety, self-determination, and freedom;
- In the importance of upholding human rights and promoting peace globally;
- That the violent targeting of Israeli civilians by Hamas should be condemned;
- That the Israeli Government has enforced a system of apartheid on the Palestinian people predating this attack;
- That the response of the Israeli Government, which enforces collective and violent punishment upon civilians in Gaza, is disproportionate to the events that led to the conflict;
- That the mass killing of civilians, denial of resources, and the sustained besiegement of Gaza constitute both a mass violation of human rights and war crimes (as defined by the United Nations).
As an executive, we have been profoundly troubled and saddened by the violence that has unfolded in the last two months. We are especially mindful of those Palestinian, Israeli, Muslim, Jewish, and Christian members of our community who have been directly affected by this conflict.
We are also particularly conscious of increased racist and xenophobic incidents happening closer to home. The SRC condemns all forms of discrimination, including antisemitism and Islamophobia, and we encourage our community to challenge prejudice wherever it arises.
We would like to remind students that the SRC Advice Centre is a Third-Party Reporting Centre for hate crimes. Please also be aware of the support services available to students through the University:
We encourage you to be supportive of your classmates, friends and colleagues; this is a time to come together and support each other.
In solidarity,
Hailie, Ross, Mariama, and Tony.
SRC Executive 2023-24