A second-year Politics lecture on ‘Injustice and Resistance’ at the University of Manchester’s Samuel Alexander building was brought to a sudden halt yesterday, October 23, as protesters from the group UoM Action 4 Palestine disrupted a presentation delivered by Vice Chancellor Duncan Ivison.
Ten minutes into the session, activists and students moved to the front of the lecture hall, unfurling banners bearing slogans such as “CUT TIES WITH GENOCIDE” and highlighting the result of a 2025 Student Union vote, in which 94% of 4,831 participating students voted in favour of ending the university’s academic partnership with Tel Aviv University (TAU).
The demonstration focused on the university’s continued ties to TAU despite ongoing conflict in Gaza—which a UN Commission has classified as a genocide—and the expansion of settlements in the West Bank. Chants of “UoM, shame, shame! All the crimes in your name!” echoed through the hall as security teams were called to the scene to monitor the situation.
The protest led to a charged debate between the Vice Chancellor and the assembled students. Participants questioned why the university’s administration has consistently disregarded the clear mandate expressed by the student body. Ivison defended the university’s current position, asserting that the institution takes student concerns “very seriously” and has implemented mechanisms to provide support, including the creation of new Palestinian scholarships and initiatives aimed at the post-conflict reconstruction of Palestinian universities.
When pushed by students on the lack of progress regarding the partnership with TAU, Ivison suggested that a change may be on the horizon. He confirmed that the university is scheduled to review all international partnerships at the end of the current academic year, stating, “At the end of this academic year, we will look at all our partnerships, including the partnership with [TAU], in line with [our] criteria.”
A spokesperson for the University of Manchester reiterated that research collaborations are “academic in nature” and governed by the principle of academic freedom. They added that the university’s governing bodies, including the Senate, have previously debated and rejected the call to sever ties with Tel Aviv University, noting that decisions on these partnerships are made collectively through established committee processes.
Conversely, a representative for UoM Action 4 Palestine condemned the administration’s response, labeling the Vice Chancellor’s lecture on “injustice” as hypocritical.
“Our goal with this action was to highlight to students the hypocrisy of Duncan Ivison lecturing on injustice whilst his administration is actively complicit in injustice through its partnership with TAU,” the spokesperson stated. They described the use of campus security as a “damning indication” of the administration’s unwillingness to engage with the student body’s demands.
As the academic year continues, the standoff between the administration and student activists remains a focal point of campus life, with the promised review of partnerships set to become a defining issue in the coming months.
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