Two Glasgow students have gone on hunger strike to demand action from their university on ending their investment in fossil fuel and arms.
Jasmin Roberts, 17, and Hannah Torrance Bright, 20, intend to go on hunger strike until Glasgow School of Art make a concrete commitment to divest from all fossil fuel and arms investment.
As part of the Divest Glasgow School of Art campaign, they will be present in spaces both in the university and around the city to inform members of the public about GSA’s investments, and why they are striking.
It comes following a letter sent to the university on March 1 demanding divestment with the strike showing that students 'will not be ignored'.
Hannah Torrance Bright said: “The fact that we as students have to resort to starving ourselves in order to be heard by our university breaks my heart, but at this point we have no other option.
"The board has continually dismissed students’ cries for help over the crisis we are graduating into, and we cannot continue to be silenced knowing that our fees are contributing to the senseless destruction of life on earth. I am deeply afraid for the future, and our pleas have thus far been ignored by GSA.”
Jasmin Roberts, 17, added: “I am studying in a system that is financing the destruction of my future. GSA are continuing to invest funds into fossil fuels and arms and continue to dismiss the demands for divestment. I do not think GSA have considered the urgency of our demands, as we have been continuously ignored. I do not want to be in this position but believe it’s the only way to get change to actually happen within GSA."
Professor Penny Macbeth, Director of The Glasgow School of Art and Kristen Bennie, Interim Chair of the Board of Governors commented: "The issues raised by Hannah and Jasmin are important to everyone at the GSA. Following an ethical investment policy and making significant progress towards becoming a more sustainable organisation is something we are taking very seriously.
“Over the past 12 months we have been reviewing our approach to ethical investment and will be tendering for new investment managers who will work with us to deliver our commitments on ethical and socially responsible investment.
"We have invited Hannah and Jasmin to meet with us to discuss what we are doing and what more we could do, and hope they will reconsider their proposed hunger strike which is of course of significant concern to us all.”
