Students for Palestine

University of Manchester Students’ Union Executive has written an open letter to University of Nottingham Students’ Union Executive asking them why they haven’t defended political freedoms on their campus.

An Open Letter to Nottingham Students’ Union Executive

When activists at the University of Nottingham decided to inject some politics onto their campus and protest against the Israeli Apertheid Wall, campus security called the Police who arrested one activist. The response of the University and the Police was appaling. However, even worse, the Students’ Union did nothing to defend its membership. Below is a copy of the letter sent by UMSU to Nottingham in protest.

Dear Executive Members, Nottingham Students’ Union

We are writing to express our concerns regarding an incident involving Students at Nothingham University on the 04/12/07.

Given the sacrosanct nature of freedom of assembly in facilitating the right of students to be politically active on any campus across the country, and the implied responsibility student unions have in supporting students ability to engage freely and without hinderence in pursuit of their causes, it is vital that we, as representatives of student bodies, ensure that any infringements are condemned and these basic rights asserted.

It is in the spirit of defending the rights of Students to engage in political activity that we, the executive of Manchester Students Union write to you.

It is our belief that if students are attacked in one part of the country, as a student movement we have an obligation to stand in solidarity with those attacked. In this case it appears that Nothingham Students have had their basic democratic rights attacked, and any future student actions undermined.

Students from Nothingham University excerised their right to protest against the Apartheid Israeli Wall currently being constructed in the Occupied territories. Those students used their right to engage in political activity to legitimately raise awareness of this situation and illustrated how the wall is creating an obstacle to the development of a lasting peace.

The fact that University Security Guards were deployed by the authorities with the expressed objective to illegitimately shut down this student action stands as an affront to all basic principles of student autonomy.

If this was not bad enough, the involvement of the police on a student campus threatening the arrest of students in their own university raising awareness on an issue would be more akin to the response of Mugabe’s Zimbawe or the military in Burma.

We ask that you take this issue seriously, and affirm the freedom of students to engage in political activity on campus. In addition, we would hope that the Students’ Union take the issue up with the University authority and point out that across the country students have engaged in similar actions without the violent response of the authorities.

If we can be of any assistance in helping you to assert these basic student rights then please get in touch and we will offer all the solidarity and support necessary to challenge these unacceptable infringements.

In solidarity,

University of Manchester Students’ Union Executive.

A peaceful event to spread awareness about the wall in Palestine took place in Nottingham University (see video). The university security clamped down very heavily without good reason; violating the rights of students to be politically active. Also the police was called by the university and 2 arrests were made and the protesters were made to take the wall down!

Below is an article covering the incidents in the a local news paper this is Nottingham:

UNI ARREST SPARKS FREE SPEECH ROW
From www.thisisnottingham.co.uk

Footage showing the arrest of a University of Nottingham student during a campus protest has sparked a freedom of speech campaign on the internet.

A video of the arrest is currently posted on the YouTube website, while a Facebook group called Bring Back Freedom of Speech to University has attracted 900 members.

The 22-year-old student, who has asked not to be named, did not organise the event, meant to raise awareness of the Israel-Palestine conflict, and was initially a bystander.

Second-year law student Glen Wright started filming the protest when police were called. The video shows a police officer arguing with the unnamed student before arresting him for alleged breach of the peace.

The student told the Evening Post: “They shouldn’t have arrested me. As the video shows I was being slightly cocky, but that is no grounds for arrest.”

Students blocked a path near the university’s library with a wooden board, to represent the West Bank Wall. Security officers asked them to remove the board, and called police when the students refused.

The protest was organised by Nidal Hajaj, a second-year sociology student who is president of the university’s Palestinian Society. The group was given permission to have a protest stall on the university campus, but not to use the wooden board.

Mr Hajaj said: “I put the wall up and immediately a member of security came over. We said to them there was nothing illegal about it. It was blocking a path, but there was another path going around it.”

Glen Wright became involved after witnessing the argument between students and security staff.

He said: “I’m familiar with the law [being a law student] and realised what was happening was out of order.

“I couldn’t believe what was happening, all over this little ‘wall’.”

A spokesperson for Notts Police confirmed a 22-year-old student was arrested.

A spokesperson for the University of Nottingham said: “The protesters were asked repeatedly by university security staff to take the wall down so that the students could continue with the protest in the manner in which they had agreed.”

The students refused.

The video shows a police officer telling the student now at the centre of the campaign: “You are inflaming the situation.”

The police officer and student are then heard arguing.

Khaled Mudala, a Palestinian student trapped in Gaza since June, landed in the UK on Tuesday after being allowed out of Gaza alongside 240 others. All movement in and out of Gaza for Gazians has been fully stopped since Gaza was declared a hostile entity in September.

We would like to thank everyone who has taken part in the campaign for lifting the travel restrictions for Palestinians. Khaled Mudala’s case has been focused on in order to highlight the restrictions on others. With your help we have been able to gain a great deal of media attention and support as well as support from key organisations and individuals. Through the support that we have gained we have been able to apply significant amounts of pressure on the Israeli government. Both the Israeli government and the Israeli Supreme Court cooperated to make the situation for the Palestinians in Gaza worse by refusing to interfere and stating that the matter was in the hands of the Israeli Army.

Several MPs supported the campaigns alongside key teaching and student organisations, such as the NUS and UCU. Also different student unions passed motions to support the campaign. After all this pressure both the Israeli Embassy and Israeli Government were forced to give several statements about Khaled’s situation. All of these statements were full of lies and false promises that Khaled would be allowed out Gaza within days hoping that these statements would diffuse the campaign. However the pressure was kept up and played a vital role in Khaled leaving Gaza a few days ago.

This is a very positive step forward – Khaled and a few others were able to leave Gaza but the situation in Gaza is still very dire. The campaign used Khaled’s name but it was always about the basic rights of Palestinians. This is also Khaled’s view as in a press conference earlier this week at special press conference in London, Khaled said, “I am very glad that I am here today but this is not a victory as whilst 140 people have been let out of Gaza there are still 1.75 million people living under siege, imprisoned, terrorised, being starved and in the canton of Gaza.”. The pressure from the campaign needs to be maintained as Palestinians are still living under a dire situation and every right of the Palestinians is being seriously violated.