Louise Nousratpour
Thursday February 5, 2009
Morning Star
SCOTTISH students who occupied their university in solidarity with Palestine ended their protest in victory on Thursday after the authorities conceded most of their demands.
Some 60 students at Strathclyde University in Glasgow hailed the outcome of the 24-hour occupation as a "huge victory" for the Scottish wing of an ongoing national campaign against universities' links to Israel.
After a meeting with student representatives, the university's vice-chancellor agreed to stop purchasing water coolers from Israeli-owned company Eden Springs.
"This has sparked an unprecedented move by other Scottish universities to consider terminating their contract with Eden Springs," student union activist Miriam Rose beamed.
The authorities also agreed to fund up to three scholarships for Palestinian students as well as publicising the Disasters Emergency Committee's Gaza appeal on the university website.
The BBC and Sky News sparked widespread protests last month when they refused to air the humanitarian aid appeal.
"Unfortunately, the university did not move on our demand for an end to investment in arms companies," Ms Rose said, but she vowed to continue to press for a resolution on the matter.
"We will be linking with students from other universities across Britain to push this vital demand through."
More than 150 students at the University of Manchester, who began their occupation on Wednesday, are still holding fort as their demands have so far been rejected by vice-chancellor Alan Gilbert.
Following a 500-strong meeting on Wednesday, the students proposed a set of demands, including a boycott of Israeli goods on campus, a day of fundraising with proceeds to the Gaza appeal and an end to research into manufacturing arms.
On Thursday, they organised a day of alternative lectures on subjects such as racism and resistance in Britain, the Israel boycott campaign, media and war and university investment in the arms trade.
Katan Alder of the Palestine Action group, which organised the event, said: "We are channelling students' anger over the Gaza crisis into progressive political activity and direct action.
"We take inspiration from the resistance movement in Palestine and will not end our occupation until all our demands are met."
Students at other universities across Britain have taken similar actions over the last three weeks and have been successful in their demands.
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