Britain, EDINBURGH ANARCHIST FEDERATION - ON THE EDINBURGH STUDENT OCCUPATION AGAINST FOSSIL FUELS by taisdealaiche

Our congratulations to People and Planet Edinburgh for their amazing victory at Edinburgh 
University! ---- They occupied the Charles Stewart Building for over 10 days to force the 
university management to stop investing in fossil fuels. This was the culmination of a 
larger 3-year campaign and so much hard work. ---- The occupiers democratically decided to 
leave after threats to their safety by private security about which the management showed 
no concern whatsoever. ---- Nonetheless, the protests and direct action against the 
university's stance have drawn so much condemnation that they've done what seemed, not 
that long ago, highly unlikely. In a complete U-turn, the university has told fossil fuel 
companies they will divest in the next six months.

We have constructive criticisms to make about divestment as a tactic against fossil fuel 
exploitation - points we hope to expand upon. Divestment doesn't affect what keeps these 
companies going: the sale of fossil fuels themselves and our dependence on this form of 
energy to produce and reproduce our lives.

But this is a significant victory won through collective direct action. We hope that it 
will be a step forward and lead to new attacks on collaboration with the fossil fuel 
industry in the university - through research and development, in courses - and elsewhere 
in society.

Going by the Charles Stewart Building yesterday, the occupation finished and the banners 
and colour removed, it felt sad. The occupation opened up a space of dissent in the 
ordinary running of things - a crack in capitalism, as John Holloway would put it - and 
that is now gone.

This was a great example of what can be achieved through organising from below and 
solidarity, something we want to see a lot more of.

https://edinburghanarchists.noflag.org.uk/2015/05/on-the-edinburgh-student-occupation-against-fossil-fuels/