St Andrews Students Occupy Uni Buildings to Protest Uni Ties with Israel
Support St Andrews University Students in Occupation
Please send your messages of support to the students at St Andrews University who have just began their occupation in protest at the University's complicity in Israel's crimes against the Palestinian people:standrewsoccupation@googlemail.com
http://twitter.com/StASolidarity
http://standrewsunioccupation.wordpress.com
Student are also asking for anyone living or working in the area to visit them - show your support!
Having presented the petition, already signed by over 30 academics and 700 students, to the Principal of the University around 50 people have occupied Lower College Hall in protest at the University's complicity in the Israeli occupation.
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We, the concerned students of the University of St. Andrews demand that the university condemns the illegal bombing and genocide in Gaza and Israel's indiscriminate targeting of civilians. In particular, as an educational establishment we urge that it shows practical solidarity with the Islamic university of Gaza and other schools and colleges damaged during the bombing.
We believe that now is the time for the university to firmly and unilaterally cut all financial and commercial ties with any companies that in any way supports the apartheid state of Israel. The university has led the way in adopting a policy of ethical investment. 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. Specifically we demand that the university:
1)Immediately suspends and pledges not to renew its contract with Eden Springs, the Israeli water company which illegally steals water from the Golan Heights. It is not enough that this contract run out this year, it must be canceled now.
2) Investigates its million pound research contracts with defense companies and the ministry of defense. Centrally, that the university sets up a review seeking to find replacement funding for the research contracts with BAE systems and its extensive links to Accenture. Both have close ties with the apartheid regime of Israel.
3)Sets up a scholarship program for Palestinian Students and commits to a minimum of 10 scholarships. This would send out an important symbolic message that we will not turn a blind eye to the Palestinian students who are unable to study because of the attacks on educational infrastructure and constant state of terror which prevents students from attending university.
4) Organizes a collection on campus, including a broadcasting of the DEC appeal, for aid for Gaza, makes available non-monetary aid such as course books, desks etc. and also establishes links with the Islamic University of Gaza in order to find out how it might aid with reconstruction.
5) Following the letter signed by fifty medical students, that Bute medical school provides medical aid for Palestine in the form of medical equipment and drugs and through supporting organizations such as medical aid for Palestine (supported by Medsin)
In all of these measure the university might link up with other Scottish and English universities who are also adopting similar policies in order to develop a common, humanitarian and equitable approach to Israeli companies and those linked to its war machine and to the Palestinian people and its ravaged educational infrastructure.
Many thanks,
St Andrews Univeresity Student Occupation
ST ANDREWS UNIVERSITY -
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
E-mail: standrewsoccupation@googlemail.com
http://twitter.com/StASolidarity
http://standrewsunioccupation.wordpress.com
STUDENTS OCCUPY UNI BUILDINGS TO PROTEST UNI TIES WITH ISRAEL
18/2/9: Over 60 students from St. Andrews have occupied Lower College Hall after a petition demanding that the University cut ties with Israeli contractors and institute an aid and scholarship programme was handed to the Principal.
Said James H. Morris, a first-year Divinity student, "We will be here for as long as it takes for the University to accept the demands in the petition. We are protesting our university's complicity with global injustice." The petition, which has been signed by over 500 students and 30 lecturers in just 4 days, has already received support from members of the student network People & Planet, the Scottish Palestinian Solidarity Campaign and many others while the occupation itself has been lauded by several key members of the University administration. In this, St. Andrews University joins 23(1) other Universities, including Glasgow and Edinburgh, across the UK which have seen mass student demonstrations, sit-ins and occupations urging their institutions to condemn the Israeli incursion into Gaza.
Roddy Shippin, a fourth-year English student, assured onlookers that the demonstration was peaceful in nature, "Unlike the Israeli occupation of Gaza, which has killed almost 6,300 people, this occupation is completely nonviolent and we will be happy to leave as soon as the demands of the student population have been met."
Miranda Myrberg, a third-year International Relations student, said, "This is not about being anti-Israeli or pro-Palestinian; this is about being pro-human and taking our moral responsibility to eliminate human suffering without regard for race, gender, religion or nationality." Patrick O'Hare, a second-year anthropology student, added "We do not see this as a black-and-white issue."
Lukas Ross, the SRC(2) Member for Ethnic Minorities, said this about the occupation, "It’s very important that everyone knows this occupation is to protest the actions of Israeli army, or more generally the actions of the State of Israel and is not in any way anti-Semitic. As a Jew myself I feel that our ethical tradition is incompatible with the Israeli occupation".
Student campaigners are making five key demands:
* Firstly, they are calling on the University to immediately suspends its contract with Telephone Eden Springs, the Israeli water company which illegally bottles water from the Golan Heights, part of the Occupied Territories.
* Secondly, that the University review its links with BAE Systems, which provide arms and equipment to the Israeli Defence Force, as well as other links to the Israeli military(3).
* Thirdly, that a scholarship programme is put in place committed to funding 10 scholarships for Palestinian students.
* Fourthly that the University broadcast the Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC) campaign to raise money for the reconstruction of Gaza on campus.
* Finally, to pledge to donate unused equipment and non-monetary aid to the reconstruction of Palestinian universities.
The Israeli incursion into Gaza began on 27th December and has killed over 1,300 civilians(4) and made over 100,000 people homeless(5). Said Iain Nicol a fourth-year Mathematics student, "Israel has been targeted by 65 UN Resolutions and continues to breach international court rulings in its construction of an apartheid-style wall. Israel's blockade has severely affected the humanitarian crisis and the ability of Palestinians to see their basic human needs met".
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
Photographs available upon request
1) Including the Universities of Birmingham, Bradford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Essex, Glasgow, Goldsmiths, King’s College, Leeds, LSE, Manchester, Manchester Met, Nottingham, Oxford, Queen Mary, Rochester, Sheffield Hallam, SOAS, Strathclyde, Sussex, UEA, and Warwick. The most recent, Edinburgh, ended successfully the evening of the 16th. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/14/gaza-student-protests
2) Student Representative Committee, St. Andrews' University Student's Association
3) This measure has already been supported, in part, by the University Court which in 2006 passed an Ethical Investment policy pledging to disinvest from companies being targeted by these campaigns. Nevertheless, the University still main research contracts with these companies.
4) Source: Al Jazeera
5) Source: Palestinian Solidarity Campaign