There is an urgent meeting today at 5pm in Falmer Common room to brainstorm how we can support the students of Jayyous, Palestine who were arrested on Wednesday when Israeli troops stormed their village. See www.stopthewall.org for details.
NYU management have begun negotiating with the occupation. Hundreds of supporters are outside on the streets, singing, dancing and resisting police, with 30-40 having stormed the 3rd floor of the occupied Kimmel building to join protestors inside. They say:
"This is for the students who work three jobs to attend the school of their dreams. This is for the students in Gaza, whose university is destroyed and can no longer study. This is for workers in Abu Dhabi building our facilities with no human rights to speak of. We are a global university and our actions are connected to world events, whether we like it or not. It is our responsibility. We have voices. Let’s use them."
Friday, 20 February 2009
Thursday, 19 February 2009
NYU and UWE occupations! And a couple of other things...
We were all super excited to hear today that New York University has become the second university stateside (after Rochester got all their demands met within a day) to go into occupation with students barricading themselves inside a dining hall. The occupation was initiated by the Take Back NYU! coalition and along with demands for 13 scholarships for Palestinian students and the donation of surplus resources, incorporates broader demands designed to increase democracy, accountability and
student participation in the governance of the university. They say:
"We apologize for inconveniencing the loyal lunchgoers of the Kimmel Marketplace, but we are not sorry for causing a disruption! Established channels have been insufficient to make our voices heard by the administration, and we have waited too long to be taken seriously. By disrupting the University’s functioning now, we are forcing the administration to deal with those people it depends upon the most—we, the students!"
We really hope that this will be the inspiration and the precedent for a new wave of similar student actions across the atlantic, and wish them serious success.
It seems that the initiative to take action via occupations is also spreading to other demands and issues, as Byam Shaw People's University in central London went into occupation yesterday over recent structural changes and managerial decisions that have seen the institution stripped of its independence, courses scrapped and staff made redundant. A couple of weeks ago workers at Waterford Crystal took over the running of their factory as the management tried to covertly close the plant down on a weekend. We welcome this resurgence in student and worker self-organised action, and with the NUS along with other national unions and the government still ignoring the needs and demands of those they claim to represent to pursue their own agendas we're expecting more to come...
Also back on these shores the University of Western England has become the latest to go into occupation in solidarity with Gaza showing that just because the atrocities are no longer making the evening headlines doesn't mean that we're not watching! They say:
This is following the recent atrocities that have and continue to take place in the Gaza Strip & occupation of the West Bank. We as students ourselves wish to offer our unity and support to our fellow students in the region during these hard times. We have proposed a set of demands of the University including scholarships for Palestinian students, a boycotting of Israeli goods, support for fundraising for DEC, and a condemnation of Israeli Actions in the region.
Good luck and solidarity guys.
Responses are slowly starting to drift in from all the letter writing done during the occupation. Today we received back a letter and what can only be described as a reading pack from our local MP David Lepper. He says he is a member of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, however, he says he cannot sign the Early Day Motion in parliament which expresses support for the student occupations because he does not know what the 'aims of the recent occupation at Sussex were'. We would have thought that perhaps as an MP he would be aware of the national wave of occupations and of other such popular actions in his constituency, but we will nonetheless be writing back to inform him! A response was also received last week from the BBC who perplexingly cited not "compromising public confidence in the BBC's impartiality" in covering stories "where issues of responsibility for civilian suffering and distress are intrinsic to the story and remain highly contentious" and "a fragile ceasefire and sporadic border access" as justification for their refusal to broadcast the DEC humanitarian aid appeal. We were assured that "In the meantime your complaint has been registered on our audience log."
The minutes from yesterday's meeting can be found in the occupation gmail account. Tomorrow there will be a meeting of the Boycott and Divestment working group at 12pm (meet Falmer Common Room) - they have had lots of success in their research and will be planning the next steps. Next week's organisational meeting will take place on Tuesday at 6:00pm so as not to clash with the Free Education demo in London. Please come down and get involved! Meet in Falmer Common Room.
Wednesday, 18 February 2009
Two new occupations today! And one meeting...
We are still paying attention and we are still angry! Today saw two new occupations at St. Andrews University and the University of East London.
At St. Andrews, 50 people occupied the Lower College Hall in protest at the University's complicity in the Israeli occupation after having presented the principal with a petition signed by over 30 academics and 700 students. They say:
"Now is the time for students, staff and management to show that we do not lack the courage to condemn crimes against humanity, nor the generosity to help those who are in such desperate need."
Please send messages of support to: campaign@scottishpsc.org.uk
Our congratulations and solidarity to both.
Another productive general meeting today with feedback from the various working groups on progress with our demands among other things and lots of plans and ideas for more events and initiatives including some exciting things going on in library square and a new website in the offing. We've tried to ignore our deadlines and obligations, but they still won't go away: we still very much need people to volunteer for tasks and get involved. The Events and Education and Scholarships and Supplies working groups could both do with some extra help at the moment. Please email the relevant working group contacts (previous post) to find out about things that you can do or scheduled meetings.
Coming up next week are a couple of events:
On Monday 23rd 5:00pm in Mandela Hall there will be a Stop the War event with speeches from Lindsey German, convenor of Stop the War Coalition, and Rose Gentle, Military Families Against War.
Then on Tuesday 24th at 5:00pm, SWSS are hosting a talk with John Rose, author of 'The Myth of Zionism' in Engineering 2, AS03
We will be rescheduling next week's organisational meeting as lots of us will be off to London to overthrow NUS president Wes Streeting who, after last week's sensational attempt at claiming that the occupations were actually the inspiration of the NUS, this week treacherously attacked the occupations with inexplicable accusations of causing intimidation and inciting racism, saying "I do not believe that the sit-ins relating to the Gaza crisis have been the student movement's finest hour". Lucky you don't speak for the student movement then Wes. Oh no wait a moment...
At St. Andrews, 50 people occupied the Lower College Hall in protest at the University's complicity in the Israeli occupation after having presented the principal with a petition signed by over 30 academics and 700 students. They say:
"Now is the time for students, staff and management to show that we do not lack the courage to condemn crimes against humanity, nor the generosity to help those who are in such desperate need."
Please send messages of support to: campaign@scottishpsc.org.uk
Our congratulations and solidarity to both.
Another productive general meeting today with feedback from the various working groups on progress with our demands among other things and lots of plans and ideas for more events and initiatives including some exciting things going on in library square and a new website in the offing. We've tried to ignore our deadlines and obligations, but they still won't go away: we still very much need people to volunteer for tasks and get involved. The Events and Education and Scholarships and Supplies working groups could both do with some extra help at the moment. Please email the relevant working group contacts (previous post) to find out about things that you can do or scheduled meetings.
Coming up next week are a couple of events:
On Monday 23rd 5:00pm in Mandela Hall there will be a Stop the War event with speeches from Lindsey German, convenor of Stop the War Coalition, and Rose Gentle, Military Families Against War.
Then on Tuesday 24th at 5:00pm, SWSS are hosting a talk with John Rose, author of 'The Myth of Zionism' in Engineering 2, AS03
We will be rescheduling next week's organisational meeting as lots of us will be off to London to overthrow NUS president Wes Streeting who, after last week's sensational attempt at claiming that the occupations were actually the inspiration of the NUS, this week treacherously attacked the occupations with inexplicable accusations of causing intimidation and inciting racism, saying "I do not believe that the sit-ins relating to the Gaza crisis have been the student movement's finest hour". Lucky you don't speak for the student movement then Wes. Oh no wait a moment...
Sunday, 15 February 2009
Occupation Victories, Divine Divestment, Disciplinaries, Debates and Free Popcorn!
OCCUPATION NEWS
Amazing news from the Goldsmiths Occupation, who won all of their demands in 29 hours! Congratulations to the members of the occupation, as well as the university management for their swift and total cooperation in developing and fully funding 4 new scholarships (2 for Palestinian students, and 2 for students from other conflict areas). 20 scholarships are guaranteed, starting from 2009-10 to 2019-20, after which a review board involving the entire student body will vote on further funding for these scholarships. More details, as well as the official response and agreement from Goldsmiths university management can be found on their blog.
The university management at UEA has been less cordial in their response to the members of the occupation on that campus, which included a vague threat to forcefully remove students from the Arts building if the occupation didn't cease. However, the management has agreed to negotiate with the members of the occupation outside of the occupied building, so for now the UEA Occupation has ended. We wish them the best in their negotiations and solidarity in their efforts.
Edinburgh also ended their occupation this morning with some solid victories including five scholarships and a lecture series, and a vow that "This is only the beginning of the movement to end the university’s role in the occupation and oppression of Palestine by the Israeli government and military." They say: "We feel it’s important to emphasize that the student occupation should be understood not simply as a tactic or a bargaining chip in getting our demands... At it’s best, the occupation provided a space for a process far more democratic than what conventional university structures are able to achieve. The changes we want to see will be attained through our direct action but also by creating such spaces, and expanding them indefinitely."
We hope that these victories will be motivation for more students to occupy!
Manchester university continues to occupy, using creative methods to continue to gain strength and support despite pressure from their VC. They have posted a radio interview with members of the occupation on their blog.
----------------------------------------------
OTHER NEWS
The past few weeks have seen lots of interesting new abuses of the English language, what with the BBC desperately cleaving to a meaningless notion of 'impartiality', 'anti-semitism' and even 'Zionist' gaining the popularity of playground insults, educational establishments with arms investments claiming to be 'apolitical', and various other complex concepts being reduced to vacant media cliches... but it seems that the British constabulary are still hung up on good old 'terrorism' as, within hours of the Viva Palestina convoy setting off from London to provide vital aid and humanitarian supplies to Gaza, it was apprehended by the North West Counter Terrorism Unit. Nine people were arrested, vehicles seized and several houses raided. According to that old bastion of British impartiality, the Telegraph, 'one van bears an image of the Palestinian flag on its side while the other has signs saying Stop Killing Children, Free Palestine, and From Blackburn (UK) to Gaza... A spokeswoman for Lancashire Police said the men were arrested "on suspicion of committing offences under the Terrorism Act 2006."' We wonder if it was the urgently needed medicines, or the warm clothing. or the art supplies for students that made them suspicious? Nice one guys; thanks for keeping us all safe there.
The disciplinary hearing for victimised Sheffield Hallam union officer, Matt Vickery has been scheduled for Thurs 19th Feb. Please continue to email Russ Swannack, the union president, to express your sentiments: r.swannack@shu.ac.uk, uuspresident@shu.ac.uk.
Divestment: even the Church of England is getting in on the act, having just withdrawn shares from heavy-equipment manufacturer Caterpillar, whose bulldozers have been used to raze the homes of thousands of Palestinians. According to an article on Indymedia, the Church had "about £2.5m invested in a company that manufactures one of Israel's weapons of mass misery and destruction." Apparently even the Church is now starting to recognise the blatant immorality of profiting from senseless death and destruction: we hope that with God's ministers guiding the way and divestment from the Israeli war machine now divinely sanctioned, other less trailbreaking British institutions will soon see the light and follow suit.
-------------------------------------------
SUSSEX NEWS
Come and indulge in some Arts A2 nostalgia with us this Tuesday:
At 6:00 there will be an exciting debate between the URNU and Students Against the Arms Trade on whether military-funded bodies should be allowed on campus.
Then at 8:00 is the Free Film Soc screening of the extraordinary animated documentary, 'Waltz with Bashir'. Film starts 7:00pm, followed by discussion, with a free popcorn policy.
On Friday several members of other occupations came down to Sussex for an informal chat about the next steps for the national movement and share experiences and ideas. Discussion was productive and we all left feeling very enthusiastic. Feedback will follow to the national list shortly.
The next weekly organisational meeting will take place on Wednesday 18th Feb at 4:00pm. Meet in Falmer Common Room.
Amazing news from the Goldsmiths Occupation, who won all of their demands in 29 hours! Congratulations to the members of the occupation, as well as the university management for their swift and total cooperation in developing and fully funding 4 new scholarships (2 for Palestinian students, and 2 for students from other conflict areas). 20 scholarships are guaranteed, starting from 2009-10 to 2019-20, after which a review board involving the entire student body will vote on further funding for these scholarships. More details, as well as the official response and agreement from Goldsmiths university management can be found on their blog.
The university management at UEA has been less cordial in their response to the members of the occupation on that campus, which included a vague threat to forcefully remove students from the Arts building if the occupation didn't cease. However, the management has agreed to negotiate with the members of the occupation outside of the occupied building, so for now the UEA Occupation has ended. We wish them the best in their negotiations and solidarity in their efforts.
Edinburgh also ended their occupation this morning with some solid victories including five scholarships and a lecture series, and a vow that "This is only the beginning of the movement to end the university’s role in the occupation and oppression of Palestine by the Israeli government and military." They say: "We feel it’s important to emphasize that the student occupation should be understood not simply as a tactic or a bargaining chip in getting our demands... At it’s best, the occupation provided a space for a process far more democratic than what conventional university structures are able to achieve. The changes we want to see will be attained through our direct action but also by creating such spaces, and expanding them indefinitely."
We hope that these victories will be motivation for more students to occupy!
Manchester university continues to occupy, using creative methods to continue to gain strength and support despite pressure from their VC. They have posted a radio interview with members of the occupation on their blog.
----------------------------------------------
OTHER NEWS
The past few weeks have seen lots of interesting new abuses of the English language, what with the BBC desperately cleaving to a meaningless notion of 'impartiality', 'anti-semitism' and even 'Zionist' gaining the popularity of playground insults, educational establishments with arms investments claiming to be 'apolitical', and various other complex concepts being reduced to vacant media cliches... but it seems that the British constabulary are still hung up on good old 'terrorism' as, within hours of the Viva Palestina convoy setting off from London to provide vital aid and humanitarian supplies to Gaza, it was apprehended by the North West Counter Terrorism Unit. Nine people were arrested, vehicles seized and several houses raided. According to that old bastion of British impartiality, the Telegraph, 'one van bears an image of the Palestinian flag on its side while the other has signs saying Stop Killing Children, Free Palestine, and From Blackburn (UK) to Gaza... A spokeswoman for Lancashire Police said the men were arrested "on suspicion of committing offences under the Terrorism Act 2006."' We wonder if it was the urgently needed medicines, or the warm clothing. or the art supplies for students that made them suspicious? Nice one guys; thanks for keeping us all safe there.
The disciplinary hearing for victimised Sheffield Hallam union officer, Matt Vickery has been scheduled for Thurs 19th Feb. Please continue to email Russ Swannack, the union president, to express your sentiments: r.swannack@shu.ac.uk, uuspresident@shu.ac.uk.
Divestment: even the Church of England is getting in on the act, having just withdrawn shares from heavy-equipment manufacturer Caterpillar, whose bulldozers have been used to raze the homes of thousands of Palestinians. According to an article on Indymedia, the Church had "about £2.5m invested in a company that manufactures one of Israel's weapons of mass misery and destruction." Apparently even the Church is now starting to recognise the blatant immorality of profiting from senseless death and destruction: we hope that with God's ministers guiding the way and divestment from the Israeli war machine now divinely sanctioned, other less trailbreaking British institutions will soon see the light and follow suit.
-------------------------------------------
SUSSEX NEWS
Come and indulge in some Arts A2 nostalgia with us this Tuesday:
At 6:00 there will be an exciting debate between the URNU and Students Against the Arms Trade on whether military-funded bodies should be allowed on campus.
Then at 8:00 is the Free Film Soc screening of the extraordinary animated documentary, 'Waltz with Bashir'. Film starts 7:00pm, followed by discussion, with a free popcorn policy.
On Friday several members of other occupations came down to Sussex for an informal chat about the next steps for the national movement and share experiences and ideas. Discussion was productive and we all left feeling very enthusiastic. Feedback will follow to the national list shortly.
The next weekly organisational meeting will take place on Wednesday 18th Feb at 4:00pm. Meet in Falmer Common Room.
Wednesday, 11 February 2009
Goldsmiths, Edinburgh, UEA occupied! Shame on Sheffield Hallam SU!
Nearly a month after some SOAS students took the MOD building on their campus in solidarity with Gaza, the (inter)national wave of occupations is still growing, with those who have ended occupations showing no sign of lessening their resolve to ensure that demands are implemented and practical solidarity with Palestine is achieved, and news of new and planned occupations still coming in constantly.
Today saw new occupations initiated at Goldsmiths (right), Edinburgh, and the University of East Anglia. Among UEA's demands are twinning with the bombed University of Gaza, and a condemnation from its union of the "failure of the NUS to address the massacre in Gaza in a meaningful way", whilst Edinburgh has demanded "that the university suspend all relations with companies enabling the conflict and/or occupation" and "that the university provide logistical and financial support for a series of informative lectures on the Palestine/Israel question."
Today saw new occupations initiated at Goldsmiths (right), Edinburgh, and the University of East Anglia. Among UEA's demands are twinning with the bombed University of Gaza, and a condemnation from its union of the "failure of the NUS to address the massacre in Gaza in a meaningful way", whilst Edinburgh has demanded "that the university suspend all relations with companies enabling the conflict and/or occupation" and "that the university provide logistical and financial support for a series of informative lectures on the Palestine/Israel question."In other shocking news, Matt Vicary, equal opportunities officer at Sheffield Hallam, has been suspended by the president of his own student union for a display of solidarity with Gaza at the recent NUS conference in the face of the imminent passing of the structurally debilitating governance review (which effectively takes away the student voice at a national level). Several other students have been threatened with suspension for their part in the university occupations. Such victimisation of those students who are prepared to stand up for their own basic rights and those of others globally is wholly disgraceful and a danger to the movement and to the basic concept of our freedom to protest. Join the facebook group in support of Matt, or ring Hallam Union on 0114 225 4111 to complain.
Lastly, Maria Gallestegui ended her hunger strike yesterday on doctors' warnings after 30 days without food calling for the lifting of the blockade on Gaza. We wish her a quick recovery and condemn the UK government and media for their failure to acknowledge this heroic act of solidarity and the urgency of those issues underlying it.
Lastly, Maria Gallestegui ended her hunger strike yesterday on doctors' warnings after 30 days without food calling for the lifting of the blockade on Gaza. We wish her a quick recovery and condemn the UK government and media for their failure to acknowledge this heroic act of solidarity and the urgency of those issues underlying it.
A message of solidarity from the Islamic University of Gaza
Dear fellow students of Sussex University,
President, The Islamic University of Gaza
We would like to express our sincere thanks and deep appreciation for all your conscious efforts, endeavours and demands to support the right to education, justice and freedom in Palestine.
We wholeheartedly support your peaceful protests against the blanket bombing of Gaza in general and the Islamic University of Gaza (IUG) in particular which suffered extensive destruction and damage to all its buildings, academic facilities. Additionally more than 20,000 students, whose families have been agonizing from the suffocating siege of Gaza, have lost some members of their families and many others have lost their houses.
With great respect and admiration, we have been following all activities taking place in 19 British universities. Your brave campaign has strengthened both our hope and will that we are not alone in this just battle against unprecedented blatant injustices and flagrant violation of human in Palestine.
We are absolutely proud of you all and proud of your solidarity and support campaign for the right to education in Palestine which gives us bright light in the heart of the military occupation darkness.
We wish you full success in your supportive campaign and in achieving all your sensible demands which show a high level of awareness and commitment to defend basic human rights in Gaza at a time of obvious media bias and hypocrisy of many governments.
We hope to cooperate with you soon to establish mutual academic cooperation between our academic institutions. In this regard, we confirm our high interest and strong willingness to provide you with any information, facts, plans, courses, etc related to your practical demands.
In solidarity with Sussex university students in Occupation
Dr Kamalain Sha'athPresident, The Islamic University of Gaza
Monday, 9 February 2009
Glasgow occupied!
Breaking news! Glasgow students have entered into occupation...
"We are currently occupying the top floor of the Computer Science building in solidarity with the Gazan people, and in protest to the war crimes committed by the state of Israel against the Palestinian people, the University's complicity in this via links to the arms trade, and the BBC's refusal to show the DEC appeal."
Excellent work! We send our solidarity. Watch this space...
"We are currently occupying the top floor of the Computer Science building in solidarity with the Gazan people, and in protest to the war crimes committed by the state of Israel against the Palestinian people, the University's complicity in this via links to the arms trade, and the BBC's refusal to show the DEC appeal."
Excellent work! We send our solidarity. Watch this space...
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