Early Saturday morning, Pro-Palestine groups Palestine Action and Youth Front For Palestine claimed responsibility for splattering red paint on the historic Senate House at the University of Cambridge. The protest was carried out with the assistance of Cambridge students, targeting the university’s alleged inaction against what they term Israel’s “genocide” of Palestinians in Gaza.
The University of Cambridge condemned the act, stating: “We strongly condemn this act of vandalism.” The Senate House, a neo-classical building constructed between 1722 and 1730, is used for Senate meetings and graduation ceremonies. With the upcoming graduation ceremonies scheduled for next week, it is uncertain whether the building can be restored in time.
Palestine Action and Youth Front For Palestine accused the university of investing in partnerships that allegedly support “Palestinian genocide.” The groups posted on social media, “The Senate House is now drenched in red, symbolising the ongoing complicity in Palestinian bloodshed,” and linked to the song “Hind’s Hall” by Macklemore, which advocates for divestment.
A student set to graduate described the scene as “quite striking” and expressed concern about the potential impact on the ceremonies. Another student speculated on whether the protest was directly related to the conflict in Gaza and hoped it was conducted by those directly affected.
Cambridge for Palestine was tagged in the Instagram post but has not claimed involvement in the action. This activist group had previously established an encampment on King’s Parade outside Senate House last month, ahead of honorary Masters graduation ceremonies.
The university and local authorities are now focused on cleaning the site and assessing the impact of the protest on the planned graduation events. The incident has highlighted ongoing tensions and brought attention to the university’s perceived stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict.