Universities are under renewed pressure to end investment in the arms trade, with students taking part in a nationwide day of action on February 27. Peaceful protests took place simultaneously across the UK

At University College London (UCL), students dressed as arms dealers and attempted to sell fake weapons in the main quad. At Lancaster, students joined an open-air debate about the university’s links with BAE Systems.

Other locations for major student protests included Oxford, Manchester, Nottingham, Newcastle and Warwick. The events were organised by students, with the support of Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) and People & Planet, the UK’s largest student campaigning network.

Universities’ links with the arms trade have attracted heavy criticism in recent years, with several institutions choosing to divest from arms companies following campaigns by students and university staff. These included the University of Wales, Bangor and the prestigious School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), which forms part of the University of London.

Other institutions, such as UCL, have agreed to adopt ethical investment policies, but have yet to commit themselves to ruling out arms investments. UCL student and CAAT campaigner Sara Hall told Islamic Times:

“The arms trade has no place in any institution based on learning and progress. Universities are keen to see students as consumers, but students are amongst Britain’s most ethical consumers.” “Universities such as Bangor and SOAS have ditched their arms shares without any damage to their fi nances. Other universities now have an opportunity to improve their reputation by announcing that they will end their links with the arms trade.”

Joanna Hill, a student at Lancaster University, said:

“I’ve joined this protest because I don’t want my fees funding BAE. Students across Britain have today campaigned for ethical investment and made clear that they do not want their universities supporting the arms trade.”

Current and prospective students, who visited UCL on the day of the protest, also signed a petition to ask UCL to divest from arms trader Cobham. Over 1000 people signed the petition.