Wednesday 18 February 2009

PRESS STATEMENT.

UWE STUDENTS SOLIDARITY WITH GAZA CAMPAIGN


In a gesture of solidarity with the people of Gaza, Students of the University of the West of England, Bristol, have passed a motion of support for the people of Gaza and are currently engaging in a peaceful occupation of a space within the University. We will as a group not be engaging in any efforts to disrupt the education of our fellow students at UWE

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.

This Israeli assault on Gaza has claimed more than 1,300 lives and injured thousands. Over a third of these victims were women and children. Tens of thousands have been left homeless without food and clean water. Israel bombed the Islamic University in Gaza City crippling the educational establishment of the region. This has been perpetuated by the blockades of medical and humanitarian aid. Israel stand accused of using illegal chemical weapons such as white phosphorus and cluster bombs against civilians and children.

We are concerned with the universities lack of action on the matter and their complicity to condemn Israeli actions, and failures to support Palestinian civil society groups in their call for a campaign of boycotts, disinvestments, and sanctions against Israeli apartheid.

We have set out demands below and will not leave the occupied space of the University of the West of England, Bristol until the demands have been answered and satisfied.

DEMANDS

We demand that the University break all links with companies which supply arms and other services to the Israeli state and IDAF. In order to do this the university should:
Issue a statement condemning the presence of Raytheon on Bristol Business Park, a university joint venture
Conduct a joint audit with the Students Union to identify all investments and business link s and agree a strategy for disinvestment.

In view of the difficulty faced by students in both Gaza and the West Bank, we as students in the UK demand that the university takes steps to provide scholarships to Palestinian students and Israeli students victimised for concentious objection by not joining the IDF as a gesture of solidarity and goodwill. An ongoing commitment should be made to facilitate the higher education of the Palestinian people.

We demand that the management of the university should issue a statement condemning the Israeli bombing of Gaza educational establishments.

University to publicise DEC advert in any way possible (including banner on the website) and put pressure on the BBC and sky to show the DEC advert.

· Support a day of fundraising across campus with the proceeds going to the DEC Gaza appeal.

Immediate boycott and halt to buying any university supplies & equipment from Israeli companies.

To send a public message of solidarity to the Islamic University in Gaza, whose campus has been virtually destroyed, and publish it on the university website and distribute it to the university wide e-mail addresses.

No victimisation for those taking part in the Occupation, and free movement in and out of the occupied spaced.

17 comments:

  1. Well done you students. All people who understand this situation and who have a conscience will support you in this. I hope the university accept your very reasonable demands.

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  2. you guys are awesome. great to see radical student action on campus. i hope to get up there and say hello but I have a hectic work (and meeting) schedule over the next couple of days.
    an ex activities president ;)

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  3. well done guys, solidarity from Edinburgh

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  4. All the best with it! Whatever you need from the rest of the Bristol community, just let us know.

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  5. All the best, hope you're doing well tonight. What's the situation?

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  6. well done UWE - wouldn't be the samewith Brisotl on the map. Good luck with the management

    Gary @ gazasolidarity.blogspot.com

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  7. As chair of Bristol Palestine Solidarity Campaign, I would like to express solidarity with you students. It's in the nature of all occupations to fail, and by "occupation" I mean "Israel"; but in their death throes they will, as the zionists are doing, cause dreadful suffering for the occupied people. The UK has no business shoring up this occupation, and neither has it any justification for its cynical exploitation of a conflict which it has done so much to engender, to further the sales of arms, much as it profited by supplying all the napalm dropped on the heads of the Vietnamese in yet another US war of hegemony.
    Cliff Hanley (Chair, Bristol PSC)

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  8. Well done guys and all the best- I think its great you are doing something- in response to this tragic situation. I cant understand how the world has stood by and allowed Israel to mistreat and masacre those around them for so long in the name of defence- its a situation where most feel powerless to change anything- I hope you achive your aims. How can people help?

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  9. Well done for occupying.
    Solidarity from occupations.org.uk

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  10. love to all those who struggle!!!

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  11. Solidarity and best wishes from Bristol Stop The War Coalition.

    Any assistance we can provide
    email bristolstopwar@hotmail.com

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  12. Brilliant, you lot. Stay the course!

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  13. Solidarity with tha solidarity.

    Hey, guys, the interview I did last night with Tom and Clare will go out on BCFM 93.2 FM at some point between now and three and again at 4.45pm. Online: http://www.bcfm.org.uk

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  14. WE ARE ALL HAMAS!

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  15. You lift my heart. Hang in there, all institutions in the UK should be pressured to disinvest in Israel. You've helped the people of Palestine in a most visible and important way.

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  16. Wonderfully well done. The truth is out of the racist zionist atrocities and day by day the zionists continue ruthlessly to kill children and adults.
    Stick it out - you are our hope -
    For Truth and Justice
    Dr.Chris Burns-Cox

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  17. keep fighting the good fight
    i support you and the palestinians all the way
    chas, easton, bristol

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