Activism

Cut ties and divest from genocide, careers fair protesters tell UCL

Pro-Palestine activists have in recent weeks carried out disruptions at UCL careers fairs to highlight the University’s ties to companies complicit in genocide. Rhi Skelhorn Student protesters from Action for Palestine took over the BNY Mellon stall at last Wednesday’s careers fair in the Wilkins Building, displaying banners that read ‘Bankrolling genocide’ and ‘Fossil free […]

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No free speech for UCL’s outsourced workforce

Despite his repeated claims that the ‘right to protest, debate, and challenging ideas is fundamental to our role as a university’, the President and Provost Michael Spence appears to have no interest in extending the freedom of speech to UCL’s over 200 outsourced security workers. Malvika Murkumbi Investigations Editor While the Provost has begrudgingly agreed

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‘This is Not Business as Usual’: UCL Stands for Justice Escalate Protests as University Fails to Meet Demands

Palestinian activists at UCL Stands for Justice (SFJ), a student-led coalition, have escalated their protests, disrupting awards ceremonies hosted by the Students’ Union last week, The Cheese Grater reports. SFJ has been maintaining an encampment on the Main Quad since May 2 2024, with three main demands for the university: As of June 7 2024,

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Life in the Encampment

Robert Delaney *On the request of the interviewee, their name has been changed to Ramallah19 On the 20th May The Cheese Grater spoke to Ramallah19, a member of UCL Stand for Justice (UCL SFJ), a student-led coalition dedicated to advocating for Palestinian rights and statehood. On the 2nd May 2024, UCL SFJ, Ramallah19 included, occupied

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On the Provost’s Update

Dayan Mustafa In his attempt to say nothing at all (nothing political, that is) Dr Michael Spence, the UCL Provost, has revealed more than he might have wished about his inclinations––and by extension, those of the neoliberal business who embody the University’s higher management.  Many of you will have already read Dr Spence’s latest update:

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The Jeremy Bentham Room Occupation: Highlighting UCL’s role in the Suppression of the Palestinian People

Sirjan Narang and Robert Delaney  UCL Action for Palestine (AFP), a Palestinian advocacy group not affiliated with the Students’ Union and with membership from across the student and staff community at UCL, has been at the centre of campus activism in recent months. Their ongoing occupation of the Jeremy Bentham Room highlights the growing tensions

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“Complicity in Genocide”: Students Call for UCL’s Support of Gaza

Mads Brown, Rebekah Wright and Shaza Hafez On Friday the 17th November, UCL’s main quad was crammed with over two hundred students, converging at the epicentre of the University, all fuelled by a shared conviction. The crowd swarmed the Student Centre, before parading through the south cloisters passionately chanting “Spence, Spence you can’t hide, complicity

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“Painting the Town Orange”: Just Stop Oil, UCL and Fossil Fuel Investment

Paige Johnson, Yash Zodgekar, Ary Ris-Luamhain and Rebekah Wright This October, Just Stop Oil (JSO) marked another destination on its Irn-Bru coloured tour of the UK: the UCL Portico. Though the paint has now been washed away, the infamous image of JSO activist Arthur Clifton posed defiantly between orange-stained pillars remains imprinted on our minds.

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93% club

Why we need the 93% Club at UCL

It is no secret that state-school students have faced, and continue to face, significant barriers when accessing higher education – especially in comparison to their private-school counterparts. Following the A-Level results day fiasco, many state-school students had their initial grades downgraded on the basis of an algorithm that used postcodes and income as a deciding

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disabled students

UCL Cares? Disabled Students’ Network report reveals bleak treatment of students

On January 20th, UCL Disabled Students’ Network published a report detailing the issues surrounding disabilities at UCL, containing students’ testimonies and recommendations for improvements to the treatment of disabled students at UCL. As of the Equality Act 2010, it is unlawful for a university to discriminate against a student based on disability or long-term mental

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disabled students' network

Open Letter From the Disabled Students’ Network

Dear Provost, Six weeks ago the UCL Disabled Students’ Network released a report based on the testimonies of 33 disabled students. This report described patterns of disability discrimination at UCL and the institutional failings that caused them. When we released the report it received praise from students, staff and experts, as well as significant media attention. Upon

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UCL’s ambiguous approach to Disabled Students’ Allowance

In 2014 the minister for Universities and Science, David Willets, announced changes to the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) which has been in place since 1974. DSA was an non-repayable government funded grant aimed to cover any additional costs that students may incur due to disability, such as specialist software or accommodation. The changes meant that

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Inheriting Galton: The people working to make UCL less racist

“If we had Muslims or people of colour holding the same conference … we would have seen counter-terrorism police on our doorstep the next day.” SU UCL BME Officer Ayo Olatunji was incensed by the news of the London Conference on Intelligence, held at UCL. The now-infamous annual eugenics seminar, convened by an honorary senior

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Israel-Palestine Conflict Resolved In Comments Section Of The Guardian

In what has been described as a breakthrough for international diplomacy, the Israel-Palestine border dispute, often viewed as one of the most contentious socio-political issues of modern times, has finally been resolved. After days of negotiations, hostile debate, and over 150 Facebook likes, housewife Brenda Reid (43) and urban-dance student Craig Grimble (19) believe they

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Violence between police and protestors over Senate House occupation

Bloomsbury streets were stained with blood as protestors clashed with police during demonstrations. What began with the occupation of Senate House ended with a total of 41 arrests: five from the occupation and a mass arrest of 36 on Thursday 5 December. These included London Student editor Oscar Webb (the third of four ULU sabbatical

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