Activism 101: An Introduction to Student Protest

As well as thinking about your tenancy rights as you settle into student life, you may also be thinking about how you can help put an end to the horrific breach of the most basic human rights that continues to be inflicted upon the people of Palestine by the state of Israel. By now, if you are trying to keep up with what is going on, your Instagram feed is probably a barrage of devastating on-the-ground footage, first-hand pleas from citizens in the Gaza strip and half-hearted, empty responses from world leaders. It is an overwhelming doom-scroll, but being so physically detached from the violence in Scotland means that we can very quickly put it all away if it gets too much. The privilege of being able to ‘switch off’ from an ongoing genocide is dangerous, and makes stumbling into the pitfalls of complicity or complete political disengagement all the easier. 

Arts Workers For Palestine Dundee understand that creating this distance is irresponsible, that Scotland and its institutions actually have a lot to answer for, and that your voice as a student is needed now more than ever. On 6 August, they launched an open letter to Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design (DJCAD) and the University of Dundee opposing the Baillie Gifford bursaries which they are offering to undergraduate students in the upcoming 2024-2025 academic period. Baillie Gifford is a Scottish asset management company which has investments not only in arms companies that are supplying the Israeli military, but also in fossil fuel stocks. And, as if things couldn’t get any more sinister, the University of Dundee has posted articles to its website titled ‘West Bank based medical students visit Dundee in knowledge exchange’ and ‘Dundee awarded University of Sanctuary status’, boasting its supposed outstanding effort to support “those displaced by humanitarian crises” while it advertises these bursaries. Yuck.

The open letter calls on DJCAD and the University of Dundee to '1. Pressure Baillie Gifford to divest from their holdings in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, in arms manufacturers, and in fossil fuels,' '2. End ties with Baillie Gifford if they prove unwilling to divest' and '3. Commit to informed consent when advertising scholarships to prospective recipients, making clear how the money has been sourced.' Through establishing a clear, concise set of demands which has almost 300 individual signatories, Art Workers For Palestine Dundee have exemplified that something as simple as an open letter can at the very least create interest and get people more involved in the cause.

Though the deadline for applications to these bursaries has passed, you can still sign the open letter to put pressure on these institutions – a seemingly small act which may very well inspire you to venture further into advocating and organising for Palestine. This issue isn’t exclusive to Dundee, either – institutions such as Heriot-Watt University and the University of Glasgow are also offering bursaries and scholarships in partnership with Baillie Gifford. So, join your college or university’s Palestine society, start one if it doesn’t exist, and organise an open letter. The time is now. 

You might also be reflecting on the impending lawsuit surrounding the bizarre transphobic harassment of Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif (a cisgender woman, might I add) by everyone’s favourite Twitter (sorry, X) ghouls Elon Musk and J.K. Rowling. Or the fact that the emergency order made by former health secretary Victoria Atkins banning private prescriptions for puberty blockers – an essential part of trans healthcare for many young people – in the UK has not yet been done away with under the new Labour government. You are probably worried about the safety and wellbeing of your trans friends and family, or your own safety and wellbeing if you happen to be trans. You are probably angry, and rightfully so. There is a lot to be angry about. But what can you do with these emotions? How do you respond to the negativity and hatred spouted by out-of-touch billionaires and once-beloved children’s authors in a way that sparks change and progression? The folks at Resisting Transphobia in Edinburgh have a few ideas.

Earlier this year on 9 April, members and supporters of protest group Resisting Transphobia in Edinburgh rocked up to Princes Street to counter a ‘women’s rights’ protest led by right-wing internet commentator Posie Parker. They arrived in busloads to drown out the aimless hodgepodge of anti-abortionists, neo-nazis and other miscellaneous bigots that make up Parker’s audience, and made clear to anyone reading the coverage of these events from outside Scotland that transphobia will not be tolerated in the capital city.

We asked these trailblazers of positive, effective, anti-transphobic action what advice they have for students – like yourself – looking to organise against transphobia in Scotland. They said: “It’s too easy to be paralysed into inaction by the enormity of the challenges we face and it can be very easy to quickly burn out. Even though it can feel as if we’re largely powerless as individuals, every action does help. Success is accumulative and builds upon itself.

“It doesn’t require too many people working together to start making a significant difference, so join a local resistance or support group. If nothing suitable is available, don’t be afraid to start your own, no matter how small. If you stick with it, then it will grow with each success.”