Wednesday, 28 January 2009
Holocaust memorial day
Today is holocaust memorial day. There is a programme of scheduled events on campus starting at 1:45pm. See http://www.sussex.ac.uk/cgjs/documents/090116_hmdprogramme.pdf for details.
No rally today.
Due to miserable weather, the rally has been moved to Thursday evening, to coincide with and incorporate speakers coming to the university. Details to follow...
Instead of the rally, there will be a meeting at 1pm today. We will meet in Falmer Common Room then find a space.
Instead of the rally, there will be a meeting at 1pm today. We will meet in Falmer Common Room then find a space.
Sussex occupation declares victory!
At half past nine last night, an agreement was reached with the university management, ending negotiations and the occupation. We thank everybody who has contributed towards our success in achieving our demands. A rally will be held at 1pm today in library square.
Press release : SUSSEX OCCUPATION DECLARES VICTORY !
Exactly one week after the beginning of our occupation, almost to the minute, Sussex occupation announces victory. As we celebrate we reaffirm our absolute commitment to the people of Palestine and their continued struggle.
We are glad that we were able to come to a mutual agreement with the university management that will ensure practical support for the people of Palestine. We have experienced significant pressure from management from the outset, culminating in their withdrawal from negotiations at 9 am this morning after our proposed minor clarifications to the final agreement - intended to ensure full commitment to the support of the Palestinian cause - were rejected. After close consideration, we have decided to accept the management’s assurances that these resolutions will be carried out in the full spirit of our occupation and its causes, and we look forward to working in partnership with university management in their implementation.
We are hugely grateful for all of the support that we have received from the wider university community. The 1293 signatures in support of our demands, as well as the countless inspiring personal messages, e-mails, phone calls and donations that we received over the course of the week showed to us the strength of feeling behind us. We also give huge thanks to the university security staff, who have been tremendously considerate and supportive throughout, and we are proud to have them as part of our university.
We are proud to be part of a growing national movement. Students across the country are reasserting their politcal strength, through peaceful and direct action. We are confident that in reclaiming our universities we are reviving the role of educational institutions in effecting
local and international social change.
As this movement has developed a genuine community has been created, of people from disparate groups, both political and social, united by a common cause. This is only the start. We will see this through and continue our campaign for the liberation of the Palestinian people.
In solidarity,
The Sussex Occupation.
Press release : SUSSEX OCCUPATION DECLARES VICTORY !
Exactly one week after the beginning of our occupation, almost to the minute, Sussex occupation announces victory. As we celebrate we reaffirm our absolute commitment to the people of Palestine and their continued struggle.
We are glad that we were able to come to a mutual agreement with the university management that will ensure practical support for the people of Palestine. We have experienced significant pressure from management from the outset, culminating in their withdrawal from negotiations at 9 am this morning after our proposed minor clarifications to the final agreement - intended to ensure full commitment to the support of the Palestinian cause - were rejected. After close consideration, we have decided to accept the management’s assurances that these resolutions will be carried out in the full spirit of our occupation and its causes, and we look forward to working in partnership with university management in their implementation.
We are hugely grateful for all of the support that we have received from the wider university community. The 1293 signatures in support of our demands, as well as the countless inspiring personal messages, e-mails, phone calls and donations that we received over the course of the week showed to us the strength of feeling behind us. We also give huge thanks to the university security staff, who have been tremendously considerate and supportive throughout, and we are proud to have them as part of our university.
We are proud to be part of a growing national movement. Students across the country are reasserting their politcal strength, through peaceful and direct action. We are confident that in reclaiming our universities we are reviving the role of educational institutions in effecting
local and international social change.
As this movement has developed a genuine community has been created, of people from disparate groups, both political and social, united by a common cause. This is only the start. We will see this through and continue our campaign for the liberation of the Palestinian people.
In solidarity,
The Sussex Occupation.
Schedule tomorrow...
Rally tomorrow in library square at 1pm! Please come!
General open meeting in the Friend's Meeting House at 11am.
Tuesday, 27 January 2009
Queen Mary's Occupied!
News from Queen Mary University in London that they have gone into occupation. Congratulations guys, we are with you all the way.
Letter to David Lepper, MP
Arts a0002,
University of Sussex,
Falmer,
Brighton BN1 4ND
Dear Mr Lepper,
You are of course aware of the current wave of national university occupations taking place in protest at the recent actions of the Israeli Government. Here at Sussex University, out of the sixteen universities that are being occupied (including LSE, Oxford and Cambridge) we are one of the largest, and as such we wish to communicate to you our reasons for our discontent.
We are currently engaging in peaceful dialogue with our university administration regarding our demands and have made it clear that we mean them to do all that they can to help the Palestinian people. Our demands, like those of other occupying universities nationwide, include a boycott of Israeli goods; a statement of condemnation of the Israeli government’s actions; as well as educational and financial aid to Palestinian organisations and universities. We are a group of people with a cause. We have gathered much support, concern and awareness around the siege in Gaza, and we are gaining more and more. We urge you to end the suffering in Gaza and the West Bank to the best of your abilities.
We are disgusted that the UK government is not honouring it’s obligation under international human rights law to lift the unnecessary and disproportionate restriction currently placed on the movement of Palestinians and of goods in and out of the Gaza Strip. We demand an immediate independent investigation using the UK’s diplomatic tools in respect to the war crimes committed by the Israeli government – examples of which, unfortunately, are too many to list in a short letter.
It is an undeniable truth that innocent people are dying and being treated unjustly. Please do all you can to stop this suffering instead of stalling the process of justice with political procrastination, mislabelled as ‘international diplomacy’.
Listen to our voices: the students protesting nationwide twenty four hours a day; your constituents that support us; the thousands of people who have been protesting in Britain’s streets; but most of all the voices of those Palestinian people who have had their lives shattered who we see in the media everyday.
The message we send to you is very clear: not just as our representative in Parliament, but as a human being; end in the siege in Gaza
Yours sincerely,
The Sussex Occupation
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