{"id":6109,"date":"2025-10-08T19:37:05","date_gmt":"2025-10-08T18:37:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/?p=6109"},"modified":"2025-10-21T15:39:03","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T14:39:03","slug":"block-everything-students-call-for-action-after-interception-of-global-sumud-flotilla","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/index.php\/news\/2025\/10\/08\/block-everything-students-call-for-action-after-interception-of-global-sumud-flotilla\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Block everything’: students protest interception of Global Sumud Flotilla"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Innes Paton & Soliha Akramova.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

University of Aberdeen students braved the conditions of Storm Amy to protest the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) the night before.<\/p>\n

Around 25 protesters gathered outside Sir Duncan Rice Library on Friday afternoon to condemn the IDF for blocking the humanitarian convoy headed for Gaza.<\/p>\n

The Global Sumud Flotilla is, by its own definition, an attempt to break Israel\u2019s siege and blockade on Gaza. Comprising of over 40 vessels and 400 participants from over 44 countries, it is an independent organisation not associated with any party or government. Instead, it runs on beliefs of \u201cjustice, freedom, and the sanctity of human life\u201d. Participants included Greta Thunberg, the environmentalist turned human rights activist, and four Scottish nationals.<\/p>\n

Protesters included UoA students and members of the Aberdeen Socialist Worker Student Society (ASWSS), Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC), Palestine Solidarity Society (PSS), and the Students\u2019 Union Black Asian and Minority Ethnic groups (BAME) forum.<\/p>\n

\"Photo
Photo by The Gaudie<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Upon the protest\u2019s commencement, Ludovic, a student and PSS member, expressed solidarity with the flotilla and demanded the safe release of the activists taken by Israeli authorities. In an interview with The Gaudie,<\/em> he expressed the protesters’ goal to \u201cheed the call\u201d of activists around the world to \u201cshut down Europe and maintain pressure on the Israeli government\u201d. He added that \u201cUniversity of Aberdeen has investments in Israeli companies. In this very library, the cyber security system is run by a company that is entirely staffed by IDF veterans,\u201d asserting \u201cIt is the normalisation and financial support provided by institutions like these that Israel feels comfortable in committing crimes against humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another protester, who preferred to remain anonymous, called on the University to divest from Israeli apartheid and condemn the \u201cflagrant violation of international law.\u201d They expressed the need for more strikes for Palestine, to \u201cblock everything, like they have in Italy or France, and refuse to go along with the genocidal agenda.\u201d Italian port workers and unions held a strike on October 3rd<\/sup> to block Israeli trade, with turnout in the millions. Similar protests erupted across Europe, with mass solidarity for the people of Gaza.<\/p>\n

The protestor commented on Mandla Mandela, the grandson of Nelson Mandela and activist on the flotilla. \u201cMandla Mandela, who has spoken at this University before, was kidnapped.\u201d Mandela\u2019s ship was intercepted in the early hours of Thursday morning. Last October, Mandela was due to speak at the University of Aberdeen, but he was denied entry to the UK. A video call was arranged instead to allow him to speak, however University officials withdrew permission for the broadcast to be screened prompting criticism and a rally on Elphinstone Lawn in defiance of the ban.<\/p>\n

Matthew, a member of ASWSS, drew attention to Aberdeen\u2019s history with the Mandela family. He told The Gaudie<\/em> about the city\u2019s condemnation of apartheid in South Africa, stating \u201cthe university was a massive hot spot for student activism against apartheid there\u201d. He recalled when in 1984 Nelson Mandela and his wife were given the key to the city of Aberdeen and declared Free Burgesses of the city. He noted that: \u201cThis is something we really should be caring about even if it is doesn\u2019t affect us directly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Natalia, a student at the University of Aberdeen, expressed similar concerns during her speech at the protest, questioning the lack of outrage and sympathy with Palestinians; \u201cthat is my question at the University today, as we ask them to condemn Israel\u2019s violation of international law by intercepting the flotilla\u201d. She told The Gaudie<\/em> that the University could and should condemn the kidnapping of civilians on a humanitarian aid mission in international waters.<\/p>\n

While the largest hindrance to the protest itself was the storming rain and heavy winds, it wasn\u2019t entirely undisturbed. A passing library go-er cried “Terrorist supporters, Hamas supporters\u201d along with a string of verbal abuse at the protestors.<\/p>\n

Another issue spotlighted by the protestors was the lack of action taken by the University against Lewis Carty, a law graduate, as well as his younger brother, Chris, a business and politics student. The pair attracted criticism for controversial speeches<\/a> about asylum seekers at anti-immigration protests in August. The protestors are calling for Lewis Carty to be stripped of the prestigious Cloch Quiaich award, and for it to be removed from display in the Taylor Library.<\/p>\n

Responding for comment regarding the call for Lewis Carty\u2019s award to be removed and for a response to actions of the IDF, a University spokesperson told The Gaudie: <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe University seeks to foster a culture of dignity, respect and inclusivity for all while recognising that a diversity of views exists across our institution. We acknowledge the importance of freedom of speech and academic freedom within legal and ethical boundaries. However, this freedom does not protect hate speech or other forms of harmful or abusive conduct. We can\u2019t discuss individual students however any incidents of this kind reported to us are treated with the utmost importance and investigated fully in line with our Code of Practice on Student Discipline.\u201d<\/p>\n

Israel has deported members of the Flotilla, who have said they had been harassed and treated violently by their detainers. Israeli authorities have responded and denied violation of prisoner\u2019s rights, claiming that the accusations are false.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Innes Paton & Soliha Akramova. University of Aberdeen students braved the conditions of Storm Amy to protest the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) the night before. Around 25 protesters gathered outside Sir Duncan Rice Library on Friday afternoon to condemn the IDF for blocking the humanitarian convoy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":6110,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","iawp_total_views":44,"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[254,1414,349,396,183],"wf_post_folders":[181],"class_list":["post-6109","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","tag-aberdeen","tag-activism","tag-palestine","tag-protest","tag-university-of-aberdeen"],"acf":[],"author_meta":{"display_name":"Gaudie Staff","author_link":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/index.php\/author\/gaudie-staff\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/IMG_27231-300x215.jpeg","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["News<\/a>"],"unlinked":["News<\/span>"]},"tags":{"linked":["Aberdeen<\/a>","activism<\/a>","Palestine<\/a>","protest<\/a>","University of Aberdeen<\/a>"],"unlinked":["Aberdeen<\/span>","activism<\/span>","Palestine<\/span>","protest<\/span>","University of Aberdeen<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":"0","relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 12 months ago","modified":"Updated 12 months ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on 8 October 2025","modified":"Updated on 21 October 2025"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on 8 October 2025 19:37","modified":"Updated on 21 October 2025 15:39"},"featured_img_caption":"Photo by The Gaudie","series_order":"","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6109","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6109"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6109\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6250,"href":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6109\/revisions\/6250"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6110"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6109"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6109"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6109"},{"taxonomy":"wf_post_folders","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gaudie.co.uk\/wpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wf_post_folders?post=6109"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}