An investigation has been launched by Strathclyde’s Student Union into actions taken during International Cultures Week 2026 by a student who was seen on CCTV cutting down an Israeli flag hanging from the level two section of the Union.
The investigation has been initiated not only on the basis of alleged damage to property belonging to the Union, but follows the claim it was an action that was likely to cause “mental or emotional harm to other members of Strath Union,” and that the student endangered their own safety and the safety of other people on level one by reaching over the safety barrier on level two to remove the flag using scissors. Such allegations are in clear breach of Strathclyde Student Union’s Code of Conduct, which states it is “dedicated to delivering a safe and inclusive experience for all its members and guests.”
When looking at Union procedure, its management seemingly has a strong case based on property damage and safety on the surface. However, questions have been sparked over whether this disciplinary action is politically motivated.
When asked for comment from the student, they questioned the Union’s interpretation of the actions in accordance with the Code of Conduct. “I spoke with a large number of students, many of whom were Arabs who had directly suffered because of Israel, who expressed significant discomfort and mental harm due to the flying of the flag. After a week of this, it felt necessary for me to remove the flag in order to negate the harm caused by Strath Union.” The student further states they emailed staff complaining about the flag throughout the week, to which they received no response, remarking “What other choice did I have?”
In response to the disciplinary action, Strathclyde’s Palestine Solidarity Society has issued an open letter to amass support for the student. So far, the open letter has accumulated over 300 signatures. It calls for the Student Union’s management to revoke the allegations, apologise to the student, commit to never flying the flag of Israel again and agree to adhere to its own policies in the future, especially the Support for Palestine policy.
The Support for Palestine policy was passed by Student Parliament in 2023 and is currently still in effect. The policy does not state its commitment to avoid flying the Israeli flag, but it does commit itself to the removal of ties to the Israeli government. The student believes their action aligned with this official policy, arguing the Israeli state is in fact an Israeli affiliated group.
“I have been trying to work through the regular channels for over two years to get Strath Union to follow their own BDS policy. This has been met with no positive changes. Is it any wonder, then, that I and others would turn to direct means to get the changes we need to see?”
The Union have carried out its commitment to severing ties with Israel on a few occasions, such as the removal of Domino’s Pizza, but not with all Israeli-tied entities as of currently.
The student further questioned who they had unlawfully discriminated against, noting that in accordance with Strath Union’s own policies, their actions were not antisemitic but anti-Zionist, as the Union “supports the right to criticise the Israeli state,” with the policy outright rejects the false conflation of anti-Zionism with antisemitism. The student also denounced the accusation of endangerment as they “took every measure possible to minimise the risks of my action,” and lays the blame at Strath Unions door for “creating the conditions that required my actions.”
The open letter additionally claims that the Union’s management is setting a dangerous precedent by violating its own student-led policy, alleging the Unions support for Palestine appears insincere, highlighting concerns surrounding free speech in the Union protected by the Code of Conduct.
When asking a member of Strathclyde’s Palestine Solidarity Society for their view, Sebastian stated, “The investigation looks bad on the Student Union, in my opinion, because it appears to me that they are not following their own policy on Palestine. I believe the flag should’ve never flown in accordance with this policy and it looks as though they are weaponising its disciplinary procedure against critics of Israel. It undermines the student parliamentary process as performative if Union policy can just be ignored by management.”
When asked for comment, the Union responded that they could not comment on an ongoing investigation. The investigation is scheduled for the 23rd of June with a demonstration of support for the student planned for the same day at 1pm.
Links
- The Open Letter: An open letter to Strathclyde Students’ Union regarding the allegations made against Willow Dyer-Lynch
- Strathclyde Palestine Solidarity Society Instagram: Strathclyde Palestine Solidarity Society 🇵🇸 (@strathpalestine) • Instagram photos and videos
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