Monday 9 February 2009

Demands

Initial

 

We Demand...

1.       Written confirmation that there will be no disciplinary, academic or legal repercussions for anyone involved in or supporting the occupation

2.       That those involved in the occupation are guaranteed respect for their fundamental rights, including freedom of assembly, expression, and movement in and out of the occupied space

3.       That the occupation is given uninterrupted access to electricity, water, internet access (including appropriate wifi passwords) and other amenities as appropriate

4.       That the principal meet those involved in the occupation at the occupied space to discuss our substantive demands

Substantive

We Demand...

1.       STATEMENT - That the University release a statement unequivocally condemning Israeli military action in Palestine, including the despicable bombing of the Islamic University of Gaza. The University should specifically denounce the attacks on civilians, the systematic obstruction of humanitarian aid and the targeting of academic institutions, hospitals, places of worship and international peace keeping facilities. The University should encourage other universities to make such statements, as well as informing the UK and Israeli governments.

 

2.       DEC APPEAL - That the University publicise the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal for Gaza by way of a visible message on the main University website, an email to all students and staff and an announcement at all lectures on campus

 

3.       BOYCOTT - That the University commences with immediate effect a boycott of all Israeli goods (including goods manufactured or supplied by Israeli owned or operated companies) on campus, including in particular Eden Springs water. Further, that the University bans all companies involved in the supply of military equipment to Israel (such as BAE Systems, the Smiths Group and Caterpillar) from all university premises, specifically recruitment events. 

 

4.       DISINVESTMENT - That the University disinvests from BAE Systems, Westland helicopters, Lockheed Martin and all other firms or affiliates involved in arms research, manufacture or supply. The University authorities should instruct all financial companies managing University endowment investments & pension schemes to ensure complete disinvestment of University funds from the armaments industry. Such disinvestment is particularly important in light of the fact that these weapons have been used to massacre civilians, commit war crimes and violate international law. Investing in such companies is completely unacceptable.

 

5.       ETHICAL INVESTMENT POLICY - That the University alter its ethical investment policy to ensure such irresponsible and indefensible investment does not occur in future, and releases a statement affirming its commitment to peaceful research and investment in the community. The new ethical investment policy should be developed in dialogue with the student community, such conversation involving specifically the SRC calling an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM).

 

6.       FUNDRAISING - That the University hold a day of fundraising to raise money for the humanitarian effort in Gaza.

 

We demand that the University commit to a specific date on which fundraising will take place, such efforts being campus-wide and well advertised.

 

7.       ACADEMIC AID - That the University provide academic aid to universities and schools in the Gaza strip, in the form of: 
            a) The donation of old books, computers and other surplus teaching/administrative/            educational resources, with the shipping of these resources being paid for by the         University of Glasgow. 
            b) The establishment of a twinning programme with universities in Gaza, in solidarity         with their plight

 

8.       SCHOLARSHIPS - That the University set up a scholarship scheme which will provide full funding for at least ten Palestinian students to attend the University.

 

The Principal’s response in this regard is unacceptable. We demand that new scholarships be set up specifically for Palestinian students, in light of the incredible difficulty in securing education in Palestine at present as a result of occupation and recent military action.

 

9.       BOYCOTT ISRAELI ACADEMICS – That the University refuse an academic platform to all Israeli academics who have refused to speak out in condemnation of the recent actions of the Israeli state in Palestine. The University must not become a locus for the dissemination of racist ideology and must take active steps to prevent the proliferation of misinformation. In developing an appropriate policy in this regard, the documentation of the British Committee for the Universities of Palestine (BRICUP) will be relevant.

 

The occupation would like to make clear that the above demands are issued with the intention of expressing our condemnation of the actions of the Israeli state and in solidarity with the people of Palestine. They are in no way directed against or intended to injure the ordinary people of Israel, many of whom support this and similar actions which have taken place throughout the UK in recent weeks.

 

14 comments:

  1. Well done for occupying. Good luck with winning your demands.
    Solidarity
    occupations.org.uk

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  2. Fantastic guys
    keep it up
    activism for justice is never EVER wrong

    peace and blessings

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  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  4. Greetings from Queen Mary's Stop The War Coalition,

    Well done guys and keep it up! Your demands sound really good and hopefully you'll come out the victors. Either way you'll be successful in that you have reached out in solidarity to the Palestinians. In my view, there is nothing more powerful than Solidarity.

    If you want any info ect you can e-mail us: qmoccupation@gmail.com

    Solidarity and Regards
    Tahmeena Bax
    Queen Mary Stop The War Coalition

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  5. "9. BOYCOTT ISRAELI ACADEMICS..."
    then the paragraph below
    "They are in no way directed against or intended to injure the ordinary people of Israel"

    People would be more inclined to hear your protests if you were less hypocritical. Israeli academics have literally nothing to do with the military action in the middle east.
    Furthermore, the CS department are not funded by the defence industry.

    Furthermore, in the interests of equality for all human kind, I would like you to join me in condemning the violent actions on both sides. It is true that the Israeli defence force have killed an order of magnitude more Palestinians than the other way around, but a human life is a human life, equally precious and equally sad when extinguished.

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  6. "9. BOYCOTT ISRAELI ACADEMICS..."

    Not really thought that one up have you...

    Revise your political thoughts i think.

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  7. I have signed your petition, but your demand to boycott Israeli academics has lead me to consider withdrawing my signature.

    In agreement with the above comments, it seems to me that there is blame on both sides of the conflict. Yet in the face of recent stepping up of violence, I believed it important to show support for the civilians who are suffering in what small ways we can.

    However, I do not feel that I can support the absurd but worrying removal of the freedom of thought that you propose. You seem to say that any Israeli academic who refuses to support your cause noisily should be dismissed, even if they are silent as to their true beliefs. And yet, in the very next sentence, you assert that the "University must not become a locus for the dissemination of racist ideology and must take active steps to prevent the proliferation of misinformation". Your proposal to discriminate against employees of this university who have nothing to do with the conflict does not seem to fit in with this.

    I am in support of what seem to be your original intentions, but your latest demand hinders your cause and, as such, cannot benefit those you are trying to help.

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  8. While i support that the university could make aware to its students the plight of those in Gaza and that it should be careful who it accepts money from, i also believe that punishing folk due to their cultural and birth origins is wrong. I am of course addressing the demand about BOYCOTT ISRAELI ACADEMICS some of which have had nothing to do with any violence in Gaza and the surrounding regions.

    I also think you should start taking some responsibility for your actions, Demanding not to be punished. Demanding water, electricity and internet access.

    I was behind you, but until i read your list of demands i've come to realise that you're a bunch of spoilt middle class snobs only willing to put up a fight when there are no repercussions.

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  9. Your actions are at best puerile, derivative and lazy. Had you *truly* believed in your cause, you would not have constructed a set of initial demands that absolve you of any hardship.

    Instead of asking for the university to fund Palestinian students (which is preposterous as this is basing an award on the nationality of an individual, rather than academic merit, which in turn amounts to racism) why not ask for the funds to obtain transport to Gaza, where you can do something positive and help rebuild the city. With this suggestion I'm sure you would receive widespread support, unlike the dwindling numbers we now see.

    Your demands do nothing but disseminate an alternative form of racism and prejudice that the world can do without.

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  10. Israeli Academics have a duty to address the crimes of it's state, and if they do not then they ARE complicit. If they are complicit then there should be a boycott. As for scholarships for Palestinians; Affirmative Action was a noble attempt to address inequality, likewise, the proposed scholarships for Palestinians addresses the fact that Palestinians have no real access to Education because it is denied them by the occupation. The occupation is racist.

    Maybe the insistence on not being punished strikes some of you as discrediting but the fact that they are doing this shows a willingness to act that is sadly missing from the pathetic 'Remove the protestors...' campaign.

    To them I say, go have a latte and shut up!

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  11. @Shandypants
    "Israeli Academics have a duty to address the crimes of it's [sic] state, and if they do not then they ARE complicit" - nonsense and one-sided, and an argument devoid of all reason. Justify not villify.

    "..Palestinians have no real access to Education because it is denied them by the occupation. The occupation is racist." - two wrongs don't make a right and history proves this. "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it".

    "shows a willingness to act" - but an unwillingness to take the consequences. An attibute we typically associate with COWARDS, and OJ Simpson. A Poor argument.

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  12. The anti protest has far more support now. Move your protest to another area of the uni

    http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=64150370711&ref=nf

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