“Uni of Leeds you can’t hide – we charge you with genocide”: Leeds student walkout marks a year since the conflict began

On Thursday, October 10, University of Leeds students staged a walkout in front of the Parkinson building to mark the one-year anniversary of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. 

During the protest, one speaker called on the university, accusing it of prioritising public image over ethical responsibility. “They would much rather use their security guards to protect fancy Victorian buildings and profit off oppression to protect their PR image and university ranking”, they said.

The protestors condemned the university’s financial ties to systems that they claimed support the oppression of colonised nations, particularly Palestine. “We know where these facilities and student infrastructure come from” the speaker continued. “It comes from the backs of colonised nations, stained by the blood of Palestinians.”

The walkout came amid a separate controversy involving the appointment of chaplains Rabbi Ariel and Sonia Pariente by the University Jewish Chaplaincy (UJC) to support students at both the University of Leeds and York. Leeds Students for Palestine, along with 22 various other student groups, issued a joint statement criticising the university for allowing the couple’s appointment. They cited social media posts made by Sonia Pariente from July 2023, which they described as Islamophobic and Xenophobic. 

In response, the University of Leeds Union (LUU) condemned the content of the posts, with LUU Director of Communications, Rori Raquib, stating: “The content of the screenshots that were shared with us was abhorrent, Islamophobic, and xenophobic, and we welcome the decision that has been made by the UJC to cut ties with those involved.”

While the LUU acknowledged its participation in recent discussions regarding the university’s chaplaincy, they emphasised that these conversations were still in the early stages. “Our role in this will very much involve ensuring that any plans around the chaplaincy include student voice and champion our values of inclusion and anti-racism… neither LUU nor UoL appoint the Jewish chaplains”.

Since the protest and subsequent backlash, the University Jewish Chaplaincy confirmed that it has removed Rabbi Ariel and Sonia Pariente from their positions, addressing the student concerns regarding the couple’s inflammatory posts.

As the university continues to navigate the protests and controversy surrounding the chaplaincy appointments, student groups have made it clear that their resistance will persist, with further actions planned to ensure their voices are heard and their demands met.