Call for collaboration between occupations

KCL have released this statement. 
 
We congratulate you on your stand against the atrocities committed in Gaza, and on your courage to take direct action!

Here at King's we are delighted to be part of a strong and vigorous movement that has become national. We very much wish to strengthen coordination between the different universities, in order to strengthen our movement and cause. This will increase the ability of students to have their voice heard in the name of justice and equality. 

We therefore suggest the following three points:
1. The intensification of communication between universities
2. The production of a bulletin to publicise the experiences of all occupations.
3. The issuing of a joint statement to be distributed as widely as possible (media, trade unions, the government, Universities UK, internationally etc).


1. The intensification of communication between universities
In order to strengthen our cause we consider the creation of a united student front for Gaza a chance not to be missed. We therefore suggest that we intensify in any possible way our communication, in an important initial step on the way to achieving this goal. Moreover we suggest a meeting of students activists from all universities in occupation.

2. The production of a bulletin containing the experiences of all occupations
At King's we sense that the occupation is becoming a formative experience for many student activists. We are certain we are gaining experience that should be shared and disseminated as widely as possible within the campus communities of Britain. We are sure we and future student activists have much to learn from the different experiences of dealing with issues such as mobilisation, organization, negotiation, etc. 
We therefore offer to edit a bulletin containing these experiences to be printed and send out to you in pdf. on Monday. This necessitates the collection of articles of approx. 500 words from each university by Sunday at 3pm. We would suggest the articles should deal with such issues as: The mobilization of students, the actual moment of occupation, problems with university security guards and police, negotiations with the university administrations, the organisation of activists during the occupation, forms of meetings and decision making, the establishment of work groups, public relations, solidarity work with NGOs, trade unions, etc. 


3. Joint statement
In light of the success of our developing movement we should have a deep far-reaching discussion amongst and between ourselves on the political demands we want to put forward. This should be pursued openly and fully in order for fully developed demands to be decided upon so that our movement can move beyond the present confines of our respective universities.

We are very proud to be part of this nation-wide movement for Palestine and to contribute to the revival of student activism and the empowerment of students around the country. We wish you the best of luck with your occupations and other activities, and will be very, very glad to hear from you soon.

Don't give up, the struggle for a free Palestine continues! 

Kind regards and solidarity from
The King's College occupation - liberated space



NB:
Two of our participants have proposed the following demands for discussion at King's. We attach them here in order to stimulate discussion:

We call on the British government to: 
1. Condemn the Israeli state's attacks and blockade on Gaza
2. To call for an international investigation into war crimes committed in Gaza
3. To temporarily expel the Israeli ambassador from the UK
4. To cease all arms trade with Israel

We call on the British Government, the Ministry of Education and Universities UK to:
1. Guarantee that universities remain or return to the status of public spaces, including the right of students to arrange events with the participation of non-students at campus.
2. That all students have the right of assembly and free speech on all campuses.
3. That all students are guaranteed the freedom of movement within and access to campuses, without any harassment and control carried out by security guards or police.
4. To guarantee the freedom of students to spread information about their activities, and to impose harsh restrictions on all commercial advertisements within university campuses.

A report from Indymedia

We were occupying the Brunei Gallery (Ministry of Defence Exhibition) in solidarity with Gaza and have declared victory after winning significant demands from the university management. 

These include an agreement that there will be no military on campus without prior consultation with the student union. A motion passed yesterday by the student union opposes all military presence on campus. It stands for the next five years. 

The occupying students will also have exclusive use of the gallery space until end of day Friday. This time will be used to hold meetings on issues related to Israel's assault on Gaza, such as boycotting Israeli goods and Israeli war crimes. 

University authorities have also agreed that students will be able use the lecture theatre and gallery for their own use throughout the year. Previously the rooms cost £1,000 to hire for a day – though the Ministry of Defence got it for free. 

There will be no repercussions for the students involved in the occupation of the gallery. The mood here remains defiant and ready to ramp up the campaign for solidarity with Palestinians. 

Final events for friday-last day of Free liberated space :-(

2.30pm Film showing: War Made Easy with speakers from Stop the War Coalition

5pm Meeting on Hamas (title not exactly decided yet!) with journalist Anindya Bhattacharyya

7pm Gig for Gaza fund-raiser in JCR. Couldn't sort out the AV equipment to do in our space.

7pm- SOAS Rebetiko Band

8pm- The Rub

Peace Not War

9pm- Riz MC and crew.

We do have the space til 9pm. feel free to pop in and hang out there.

see you all there....thanks for all the wonderful messages of support.

Good luck to LSE who are in occupation right now-see http://www.lseoccupation.blogspot.com/

Yvonne Ridley and others speak at SOAS today in our newly liberated space...

1.30pm: Yvonne Ridley, Journalist and activist 

"War, the media and the Lies"

Brunei Suite, ground floor, Brunei Gallery, SOAS...All welcome

3pm: Mike Cushman and John Chalcraft, Lecturer of History & politics  of  Empire/Imperialsm from BRIKUP-British Universities of Palestine

"The need for Academic Boycott, divestment & sanctions"

 

5pm: Film showing, John Pilger's brilliant documentary

"The War on Democracy"

TOMORROW

2.30pm:  Filmshowing and Lindsey German and George Galloway from Stop the War Coalition

"War Made Easy"

Update: Soas students in occupation declare victory as university concedes demands

This article should be read after: » Soas students occupy university building in solidarity with Gaza

by Siân Ruddick at the Soas occupation

Students at the School of Oriental and African Studies (Soas) occupying the Brunei Gallery in solidarity with Gaza have declared victory after winning significant demands from the university management.

These include an agreement that there will be no military on campus without prior consultation with the student union. A motion passed yesterday by the student union opposes all military presence on campus. It stands for the next five years.

The occupying students will also have exclusive use of the gallery space until end of day Friday. This time will be used to hold meetings on issues related to Israel's assault on Gaza, such as boycotting Israeli goods and Israeli war crimes. Tariq Ali is already confirmed to speak at the space tomorrow.

University authorities have also agreed that students will be able use the lecture theatre and gallery for their own use throughout the year. Previously the rooms cost £1,000 to hire for a day – though the Ministry of Defence got it for free.

There will be no repercussions for the students involved in the occupation of the gallery. The mood here remains defiant and ready to ramp up the campaign for solidarity with Palestinians.

The following should be read alongside this article: 
» Soas students occupy university building in solidarity with Gaza

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EVENTS UPDATE

4pm – Voices from Gaza (Lecturers and activists from Gaza) – JCR 

Mass movement over to the Brunei Suite. 

5pm- Tariq Ali War Crimes in Gaza - Brunei Suite 

6pm – John Rose “The Myths of Zionism” – Brunei Suite 

7.30pm – Alberto Toscano ad Peter Hallward (Goldsmiths and Middlesex Lecturers) “Civil Disobedience, Internationalism and Universities” – Brunei Suite

Myths of Zionism public meeting-all welcome

The escalating crisis in Palestine has reignited a political debate over the history and nature of Zionism — the ideology of Jewish nationalism that underpins the Israeli state.

In response to the atrocities in Gaza Author and Teacher John rose speaks out.

Wednesday 6pm
SOAS Brunei Suite, Brunei Gallery, Thornhaugh St, London, WC1

ALL welcome

First post in support of Gaza

SOAS students are currently occupying a Ministry of Defence exhibition on campus - following a Union General Meeting at which a motion was passed condemning the college for allowing the MOD to use space which should be for students to portray the armed forces as a liberal, anti-racist organisation - in the week that Prince Harry's racist remarks came to light! We also demand that the college produce a statement condemning the attacks on Gaza - so as to represent the majority view of the student body.

We will spend the night adding to the exhibition and invite "guided tours" during the day tomorrow examining the reality of war both for the victims and ethnic minorities in the armed forces.

They are occupying the Brunei Gallery Suite on the ground floor of the Brunei building (opposite the main building) - please come down to visit or send messages of support to soas.occupation@googlemail.com