Students mark the anniversary of the PSH occupation with renewed calls for divestment and institutional accountability.
After a year, the anger remains. Students and activists at Goldsmiths gathered once again, rallying outside the Richard Hoggart Building (RHB) to demand divestment from Israeli-linked companies. On 27 February, a large crowd marked the anniversary of the Professor Stuart Hall Building (PSH) occupation, with organisers from Goldsmiths for Palestine calling for the university to formally adopt the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
The demonstration featured banners, speeches, and direct action. Students called attention to what they described as the university’s continued complicity in human rights violations. Key moments from the protest, captured through visuals and testimony, reflected a student-led call for change.
One of the most repeated slogans was “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” referring to the region spanning from the Jordan River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. The phrase symbolises their call for Palestinian liberation and resistance against occupation.
Another chant echoed in rhythmic unison: “One, we are the students! Two, we won’t be silent! Three, stop the bombing, now, now, now!”— emphasising their demands for an end to violence in Gaza and institutional action from Goldsmiths.
During the demonstration, students reflected on the power of collective action in reshaping institutions. Starr Thomas told the crowd,
“Students have transformed what a university can be through occupation, education, and mutual care. Historically, student movements have played a crucial role in driving social change, challenging systems of power, and redefining institutions from within.”
Through past occupations, students have transformed spaces like PSH into hubs of activism, education, and resistance. This anniversary rally reaffirmed their commitment to those principles.
As the rally came to an end; inside the PSH building, protesters reaffirmed their commitment to continued action. In their final statement, speakers reminded the crowd of the wider struggle in Palestine, condemning ongoing violence in Gaza and the West Bank. They called on Goldsmiths to honour its previous commitments, including divestment and support for Palestinian scholarships, and urged the university to take a definitive stance against complicity.
The demonstration concluded with chants of solidarity, as protesters vowed to persist in their demands for justice and accountability.