Azra Hoosen | ah@radioislam.co.za
12 June 2025 | 13:30 CAT
3 min read

At the historic University of Cambridge in England, students have turned protest into purpose, setting up encampments again to call for the divestment of college funds from companies allegedly complicit in Israel’s military actions in Gaza. Cambridge for Palestine (C4P) began as a peaceful movement in the United Kingdom, but has since been embroiled in a whirlwind of legal battles, institutional pushback and police involvement.

Mahmoud, a student activist and representative for the C4P movement, spoke to Radio Islam about what has unfolded since the group established an encampment at Trinity College just a few weeks ago. “A few days later, we were served an interim injunction by Trinity stating that we were illegally on their land, and they hired a private company that started erecting fences around the encampment while the protesters were sleeping,” he said.

Students were forced to wake up quickly and leave the site before it was completely sealed off. “Thankfully, everyone was safe, and we managed to get out,” he added.

Shortly after, the group moved to Saint John’s College, which they say has around £3.2 million invested in companies contributing to “the ongoing genocide.” Once again, the response was swift: “They served an interim injunction and started fencing the areas to shut us down.”

For Mahmoud and others, the irony is painful. “Instead of the colleges looking inwards and seeing their complicity… they put effort into erasing any semblance of Palestine that reminds the students that there is a genocide going on. All while claiming to educate the next generation of leaders,” he said.

When asked if the university’s approach changed after the relaunch of the encampments, Mahmoud says the institutions have responded with “copy-paste” tactics. “This year, they are handing out interim injunctions. It is a step up from what they did before, where they were a little more tolerant,” he noted.

While universities in Gaza are being wiped out by war, Cambridge students say they will not be silenced. “Every university has been destroyed in Gaza. For two years now, the kids have not been learning. Teachers and students alike are being bombarded with bombs and starved to death. So it does not matter what response the university throws at us. If it is not by encampments, then it will be by other means. We will not stop!” he asserted.

The motivation for continuing is deeply personal and profoundly human. “We see death on our screens in horrible fashions… children, mothers, dads, in schools and hospitals. We know for a fact that our institute is complicit in investing millions of pounds. It is a moral obligation. It is a moral responsibility,” he stressed.

Mahmoud explained that the injunctions set a dangerous precedent. “They are anti–freedom of speech. The university is supposed to be a beacon of free speech. Doing these injunctions sets a legal precedent to police student speech,” he said.

He emphasised that Cambridge needs to shed its prestige and look inwards. “If you are trying to teach people about human justice, international law, and criminal actions and then at the same time tell them they cannot speak – that contradicts the whole message,” said Mahmoud.

The presence of police has added to the emotional weight of the protests. “Police were probably requested by the college to inform us that we might be arrested. It feels destabilising. We are young. We want good careers and to make a significant impact on the world. It is scary when someone says you could be arrested – that will stay on your record. But it pales in comparison to what Gazans are facing,” he said.

Among the companies Cambridge for Palestine is demanding the university divest from are Elbit Systems, BAE Systems, and Caterpillar. Mahmoud describes the link as “not far away” or complicated. “It is a very direct link. Elbit Systems is headquartered in Haifa, Israel. They are known to manufacture bombs and drones that literally kill civilians right now as we speak,” he said.

The group’s demands are straightforward: full disclosure of financial ties to the conflict, divestment from complicit companies, protection of protest rights, and reinvestment into initiatives that support Palestinian refugees and education.

“The university has largely stonewalled us. There is endless bureaucracy. A war of attrition,” said Mahmoud. However, some results have been achieved. King’s College has announced it is divesting, although the trust remains cautious due to Trinity’s backtracking on a similar promise. “We persist. We insist on still raising the Palestinian flag. We still demand answers,” he said.

According to Mahmoud, while institutional resistance remains firm, support from faculty and the wider student body has been heart-warming. “Students and faculty have been helpful. Many lecturers come to our encampments. They sign letters in support. The Student Union voted last year to stand with us. It does contrast with the university’s response,” he said.

The solidarity stretches beyond Cambridge. “We learn from each other globally. Some campuses are stress-free, others face violent repression. We support one another, sign letters, and amplify each other’s voices. This is about Gaza, about freedom for Palestine,” he noted.

In the face of surveillance, legal threats and the fear of arrest, C4P’s message echoes loud and clear: “It no longer becomes about us. It becomes about what is happening in Gaza – and why our university is still helping in this ongoing starvation.”

LISTEN to the full interview with Muallimah Annisa Essack and C4P Spokesperson, Mahmoud, here.