Sheffield university occupied for gaza

[e19896]

Student activists, with the support of local workers, have occupied two lecture theatres in the university campus in solidarity with the Palestinian
people. Students at our university are outraged by Israel’s recent, brutal
invasion of Gaza. The attack in which over 1,400 Palestinians were killed,
of whom over 400 were children, is the latest chapter in the sixty year
oppression and occupation of the Palestinian people.

These demands have been forwarded to the University management:

1. Issue a statement condemning the disproportionate actions of the
Israeli state against the Palestinian people.

2. Create a special programme of five Palestinian scholarships and waive
all fees for current students from the occupied territories.

3. Enter into an academic partnership with the University of Gaza.

4. Donate old books, computers and other relevant equipment to the
University of Gaza, and pay for the transport of these materials.

5. Publicise the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) appeal on Sheffield
University notice boards, website and via email.

6. Initiate a programme in partnership with students of divestment and
ending links with the arms trade.

7. Allow those studying medicine to carry out their electives in the
occupied territories of Palestine.

8. Commemorate the United Nations Palestine Solidarity Day on November
29th.

9. Echo the Occupation's statement of support with Israeli students who
have been imprisoned for refusing to serve in the IDF.

We believe our university should be run democratically from below by
students and staff, and not in the interests of corporate profiteering.
Because of this belief, we express our solidarity with university workers
and demand:

10.That they face no cuts in jobs, wages or conditions.

We further demand:

11. That participants in, or supporters of, the occupation face no
repercussions.

This student occupation is the result of the university management’s
failure to continue in negotiations on this urgent matter despite our
repeated attempts to engage them in talks.

At present, our University is in partnership with arms companies producing
weapons that have been and continue to be directly responsible for the
deaths of thousands of Palestinians.

The Palestinian people are suffering from a humanitarian disaster,
continually underplayed and ignored by the western media – which, we
believe, is the result of the heavy financial, political and military
involvement of Western countries, in Israel.

As students and citizens we all have an obligation to make sure that our
university adopts responsible policies and actively campaign for justice for
Palestinians.

We call upon everyone to join in this country wide movement and take direct
action in their local communities, workplaces, schools and universities.
Everyone is welcome to come and join us in Lecture Theatres 5 and 6 in the
Hicks Building, Sheffield University.

This is the 31st occupation of a university in solidarity with the
Palestinian people.



In solidarity,

*The Occupiers*



Notes for editors:

- The occupiers can be contacted by emailing
sheffieldoccupation@googlemail.com

- The website of the occupation is
http://www.sheffoccupied.blogspot.com

- Student occupations have varied in length; some, such as Manchester,
have lasted for weeks whereas others, such as Bradford, have lasted only 24
hours.

- Details of other student occupations can be found by visiting
http://www.occupations.org.uk

 

[frogwoman]

nice

 

[8ball]

Is it a deliberate tactic to make demands that you know cannot be achievably met?

 

[baldrick]

At present, our University is in partnership with arms companies producing
weapons that have been and continue to be directly responsible for the
deaths of thousands of Palestinians.

yeah, they didn't listen when we tried to stop the deal with boeing, they won't listen now.

good on them for trying though

 

[xes]

Power to the people

ect.

 

[Sadken]

Cool, but for all the good it will do they may as well stage an occupation in protest against jealousy.

 

[Zachor]

Break out the baton rounds

 

[butchersapron]

I believe some of those demands have been met at other unis as a result of occupations.

 

[Sadken]

I believe some of those demands have been met at other unis as a result of occupations.

I'm sure that statement is of great comfort to everyone over there.

I mean, really, even if every uni granted every request it wouldn't actually do much to help the situation over there, would it? It'd just make a load of 18 year olds feel like they'd done a good thing. Which I'm not knocking - I'm glad of their interest, but it's really not a big deal as far as I see it.

 

[butchersapron]

So what?

Sorry sheff uni students, you either solve the problems of the middle east in their entirety or forget it.

 

[Stella]

from an email :

"Subject: URGENT: University refuses to negotiate. COME DOWN TO SUPPORT US!!!

At around 4pm this afternoon, the head of security in the Hicks building presented our occupation with a letter from university management announcing that, following our Student Union officers' condemnation of our action, management would not be conducting any negotiations or discussions with us. The basis of the SU's condemnation was that our action was disruptive to students' education, despite the fact that we have consistently said that we are happy for lectures to take place in our occupied space. Indeed, despite management's attempt to unilaterally relocate all lectures (at significant inconvenience to students), dialogue between the occupation and lecturers succeeded in allowing lectures to take place in their original scheduled locations.

We make a call out to all supporters in Sheffield, or anyone who can get down to Sheffield, to come along and support the currently ongoing occupation, participate in the meeting, bring food and sleeping equipment if you can.

Given university management's intransigence, we are asking all Sheffield students, workers and other supporters of the occupation to send the following model email to Vice Chancellor Keith Burnett at vc@sheffield.ac.uk. CC to email to Rowann Sharples, his personal secretary, at r.sharples@sheffield.ac.uk, and CC us in at sheffieldoccupation@googlemail.com.

Feel free to amend this text or add your own. You can also ring Rowann Sharples on (0114) 222 1006.

--

Dear Professor Burnett -

We believe that your position of refusal to engage with the occupiers of the Hicks lecture theatres is entirely unreasonable. The occupation began as a response to your failure to respond to earlier correspondence well before the occupation took place; the onus was on you to continue negotiations and discussions in this manner, and your refusal to do so is what led the occupiers to conclude that direct action was the only option left to them.

Furthermore, the Student Union's statement of condemnation - upon which you base your refusal to negotiate - was predicated entirely on a falsehood. The occupiers have consistently express their willingness for lectures to take place in the occupied space, and indeed have taken it upon themselves to facilitate this despite University management's attempt to unilaterally relocate lectures. The vast majority of students and lecturers who have visited the occupied space have found it a welcoming, non-intimidating environment that would be in no way disruptive to learning and education.

An emergency meeting of the Student Union Executive Officers (which only reached its decision by a majority of 5-3) cannot possibly be held to be meaningfully representative of the wide layers of deeply felt student opinion around this issue. We call on you and other members of the University's senior management to immediately retract your position of refusal to negotiate with the occupiers and enter into open discussions with them.

Yours -

[INSERT YOUR NAME AND CONTACT DETAILS HERE]



In Solidarity! Remember, the Palestinians have no choice between occupation and freedom.

The Occupiers"

 

[8ball]

I believe some of those demands have been met at other unis as a result of occupations.

Seems plausible, but 1, 2 and 6 look like non-starters to me.

Maybe the idea is to be 'bargained down' and to make some gains, I dunno.

 

[Azrael]

We further demand:

11. That participants in, or supporters of, the occupation face no
repercussions.

Quel surprise.

As I said in the thread about the Essex University occupation, I don't see why an unrelated university should be disrupted due to the actions of the Israeli government and defence forces. But the "occupiers" have said they're happy for lectures to continue, so let the university call their bluff and lecture away. A few weeks of being ignored would be a more effective way of dealing with this than the heavy-handed alternatives.

Hey, it's one way to get students to attend lectures!

 

[e19896]

Quel surprise.

As I said in the thread about the Essex University occupation, I don't see why an unrelated university should be disrupted due to the actions of the Israeli government and defence forces. But the "occupiers" have said they're happy for lectures to continue, so let the university call their bluff and lecture away. A few weeks of being ignored would be a more effective way of dealing with this than the heavy-handed alternatives.

Hey, it's one way to get students to attend lectures!

Hay kick the message person why not, anyhow following an hard day of meetings and doING so stuff i do not like we get there at 630, and full on comady farce in place ill spare the info, but there for the night and have asked for me to place this call out..

9AM SHARP PROTEST IN SUPPORT OF THOSE INSIDE OUTSIDE THE HICKS BULDING..

 

[Balbi]

Worked for us in Manchester. 31 days before the occupation ended, and negotiations ongoing. Some demands already met (the sheff ones look really familiar )

 

[Cobbles]

I'll bet the university authorities are bricking it....

If they are (tee hee), then all they have to do is:

1 Switch off the heating

2 Chuck in a couple of bars of soap

3 Send in the drug squad

4 end of "occupation"

 

[greenman]

I'll bet the university authorities are bricking it....

If they are (tee hee), then all they have to do is:

1 Switch off the heating

2 Chuck in a couple of bars of soap

3 Send in the drug squad

4 end of "occupation"

Lend me some threads so I can stitch my sides.
Did Cobbles come through some strange time warp from "The Comedians" circa 1975?

 

[Cobbles]

Lend me some threads so I can stitch my sides.
Did Cobbles come through some strange time warp from "The Comedians" circa 1975?

Trespass -> police -> pointless-stunt -> ended.

Issuing of "degrees" with nicely absorbent properties and perforations top and bottom re-commences.

 

[Azrael]

Hay kick the message person why not [...]

It was a general comment, but it sounds like you're involved, so I'll ask you why Sheffield University deserves to be disrupted for the actions of a foreign government. What have they done?

And more to the point, how is occupying a few lecture theatres in a Yorkshire university going to make a blind bit of difference to the situation in Israel/Palestine?

 

[killer b]

i think this is the important bit:

At present, our University is in partnership with arms companies producing weapons that have been and continue to be directly responsible for the deaths of thousands of Palestinians.

it's a little baffling how far down the statement it is tbh...

 

[belboid]

It was a general comment, but it sounds like you're involved, so I'll ask you why Sheffield University deserves to be disrupted for the actions of a foreign government. What have they done?

And more to the point, how is occupying a few lecture theatres in a Yorkshire university going to make a blind bit of difference to the situation in Israel/Palestine?

I have no direct involvement in this either, but don't you find your two statements a little contradictory? This is a largely symbolic occupation, tho one that hopes to achieve some real, limited, gains. It is something that is attempting to force the issue to be addressed, and it can be resolved with ease, and at very little cost to the university. Disruption to the majority of students is minimal (two lecture theatres, not even the largest I dont think, but probably the ones with the best window access to the main road), and if you read the blog you'd know that they even allowed one of the theatres to be used for a seminar and that 'We will endeavor to cooperate with all other lecturers scheduled to take lectures in Hicks Lt 5, 6 and 7 during our occupation. Our aim is to disrupt University Management, not students education.'

It's a statement of solidarity with a people who have suffered a fuck site more than any of the people doing the occupying, demanding a wealthy college spread some of its money around.

btw, the 'waive all fees' bit in point 2 is a bit of a misnomer, as, well, i bet you can guess just how many 'current students from the occupied territories' there are at the uni

 

[belboid]

i think this is the important bit:



it's a little baffling how far down the statement it is tbh...

it's just about the first bit of the non-demands bit, but it really should have gone up front, yeah

 

[e19896]

It was a general comment, but it sounds like you're involved, so I'll ask you why Sheffield University deserves to be disrupted for the actions of a foreign government. What have they done?

And more to the point, how is occupying a few lecture theatres in a Yorkshire university going to make a blind bit of difference to the situation in Israel/Palestine?

Yes and no, in this respect one is just an hack reporting from the inside to the outside as one is trusted to put across the point of view..

In a personal capacity...

 

[belboid]

translated: I copied it off the internet

 

[e19896]

translated: I copied it off the internet

8am i was there, got in shall not say how here, and yes what i place here is from e mails, as this is a people lead action and collective words are issued.. This is not Unite..

 

[belboid]

you walked in through the open door that almost anyone is allowed to walk in through.

Good on you for going down and giving support, but drop your sad and pathetic claims to be involved in any significant way. it's laughable.

 

[e19896]

you walked in through the open door that almost anyone is allowed to walk in through.

Good on you for going down and giving support, but drop your sad and pathetic claims to be involved in any significant way. it's laughable.

Allright here is a deal go down today and see if can walk through the fucking door, erm security at each one, checking people in and out, not giveing info here as an open wire, i aint involved just an hack as said so where are the lies? fucking prick go on down and see what i mean.. Where was you at 8am, fucking in your armchair no doubt slagging people of, erm what to expect from a trade union rep for unite..

 

[belboid]

lol, funny man.

 

[e19896]

lol, funny man.

I know what lets trade insults, as people die are killed in an occupation, students are doing something at Sheff Uni, all good is this lefty fucking sectarian bullshit is it not, the car can pull you and your arcmcahir down fancy a lift?

More images thoughts and words http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/sheffield/2009/03/424446.html of for some lunch come brekfrost and back for the lunch time protest..

 

[belboid]

as i said, good on ya for taking up the students' request to 'come and visit us'. Messages of solidarity and letters of support have gone from various of my unions members, most of whom are probably, like me, at work.