STUDENTS at the University of Edinburgh have used their graduation ceremony as a platform to protest for the people of Palestine.
The mini demonstration by the institution’s Justice for Palestine Society took place during a ceremony at McEwan Hall on Wednesday.
Some postgraduate students took to the stage with banners, with another holding up a sign amongst the crowd.
It is the latest in a series of protests by the group in the past year, with the occupation of a lecture theatre taking place on Monday.
Footage shared to social media shows one graduate crossing the stage and unfurling a banner after being doffed on the head.
The banner held up by the protesting student reads: “If I must die, you must live to tell my story.”
Another student joins them as they turn around with the banner, and holds up another, which reads: “Edinburgh students for Palestinian liberation.”
Applause rings out and gets louder as the two walk across the stage holding their banners up high.
An image of graduates standing in the audience wearing their gowns shows all of them facing in the same direction, apart from one.
They turn towards the camera, holding up a sign which obscures their face and reads: “No graduates in Gaza.”
This demonstration follows the occupation of the Gordon Aikman Lecture Theatre on Monday night, and a sit-in at the main university library earlier in the month.
A hunger strike took place on campus in May, and some of last year’s graduations were disrupted by protestors.
The group has repeatedly demanded that the institution divest from companies “complicit in Israeli apartheid and genocide” and “cut all research ties with Israeli universities and weapons contracts linked to the occupation.”
It also wants to see the suppression of student led pro-Palestinian solidarity by the university stopped.
It shared the latest demonstration to social media on Wednesday with the caption: “There are no graduates in Gaza.
“This afternoon, postgraduates stood in solidarity with the Palestinian cause and echoed the ever growing and undeniable calls for divestment.”
Speaking today, a University of Edinburgh spokesperson said: “Graduation day marks the culmination of our students’ hard work and we want them to be able to celebrate their time at Edinburgh with their family and supporters.
“The horror of the violence and loss of life in the Middle East has been felt deeply by many of our students and staff, and we respect people’s right to demonstrate lawfully and peacefully.
“We also have a responsibility to ensure that all who attend our graduations can celebrate their achievements without disruption.
“During yesterday’s ceremony, a small number of peaceful protests took place. All graduations took place as planned with limited disruption.”
The Edinburgh University Justice for Palestine Society has been contacted for comment.
