Pro-Palestine euphoria and accusations of anti-Semitism echoed across campus last Wednesday after students voted to support the Gaza Crisis victims at an Emergency General Meeting last week


By Girish Gupta
Published: February 16, 2009

Attracting over 1,000 students, the meeting maintained quorum even after a last-minute mass walkout in protest against the “Gaza Crisis” motion. Following the successful vote, there were renewed attempts by those in favour of the motion to occupy the University’s John Owens Building, but they were thwarted by Campus Security’s quick decision to lock all gates. Some protesters did, however, climb over the fences, chanting in support of Palestine and calling for the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Alan Gilbert.

A week of occupations, rallies and speeches around the University of Manchester had brought student enthusiasm to fever pitch, seeing them queue throughout the Union building to get into the meeting. Academy 2 was filled with 500 people, while a similar number spilling over into Biko’s Café next door. . . .

Continue reading the Feb 16, 2009 article from the University of Manchester's Student Direct.


Jewish Students Targeted On Campus

By Susannah Birkwood
Published: February 16, 2009

Hate mail, abusive e-mails and spitting are just some of the acts of anti-Semitism experienced by Jewish students on campus since the start of the new semester.

Tensions have been particularly wrought between pro-Palestinian students and their Jewish counterparts since the recent conflict in Gaza. . . .

Continue reading the Feb 16, 2009 article from the University of Manchester's Student Direct.


The Meeting That Never Was

By Girish Gupta
Published: February 9, 2009

The emergency General Meeting last Wednesday missed reaching quorum by just a handful of students, causing frustrated activists to take to the streets in protest.

Supporters of the motion claimed that the doors had been locked during the quorum count to verify the presence of at least 500 students, preventing seats from filling up. Members of the Jewish Society were accused of blocking entry to prevent the vote on the motion in support of
Gaza from going ahead. . . .

Continue reading the Feb 9, 2009 article from the University of Manchester's Student Direct.


University Under Occupation

By Susannah Birkwood
Published: February 9, 2009

More than 150 students staged a sit-in protest outside the University Vice-Chancellor’s office last week to demand a stronger and more proactive position from the University on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. . . .

Continue reading the Feb 9, 2009 article from the University of Manchester's Student Direct.


Opinion: What’s the point of this occupation?

Aileen Quinn, 24, MA Cultural History

“I’m protesting today because I’ve been outraged by the actions of the Israeli government in Gaza . . .

Sara Mahmoud, 21, Physics

“We’re here today to show solidarity with the people of Gaza . . .

Matt Scholey, 20, Politics & Modern History

“For every one person that has died in Israel, 100 children have died in Palestine. . . .

Mohamed Ghalaieny, MSc Environmental Science

“We’re protesting because we’d like the University to take a stronger stand . . .

Continue reading student opinions on Gaza from the University of Manchester's Student Direct.


Palestine Protest Disrupts Exams

By Alena Eis
Published: February 9, 2009

A pro-Palestine demonstration culminating in the 27 hour occupation of a university building has sparked controversy because it was held during the busy exam period.

Action Palestine protesters teamed up with Socialist Worker Party students to highlight the plight of Palestinians, while condemning Israel for their attacks on Gaza. University administration was also criticised by the protesters for its continued support of firms known to be involved in arms trade with Israel despite official policies to the contrary. . . . --NewsHammer 2/19/2009

Continue reading the Feb 9, 2009 article from the University of Manchester's Student Direct.

A proposed talk by Colonel Geva Rapp, head of ground operations for the Israeli military in Gaza at the Union of Jewish Student’s London Student Centre yesterday was met by a large protest including student activists from University of London colleges

By Joe Rennison
Published: January 30th, 2009


An e-mail, circulated by the organisers, described Rapp as: “deputy commander of ground forces in Operation Cast Lead in Gaza this month. Geva is the Founder and Director of Panim el Panim - an organisation committed to unity in Israel and the teaching of Jewish values amongst young Israelis in preparation for their army service.”. . .

But a source told London Student: “No, he didn’t speak. As far as I know he wasn’t going to be able to make it from quite early in the evening and that this was not to do with the protests.”. . .

With the number of protesters increasing, police called for the south side of Euston Road to be blocked off. . . .

Jen Jones, Goldsmiths College SU Campaigns and Communications officer, said: “A group of Goldsmiths students tried to get inside the building and when this happened the police began not simply stopping them or standing in their way but attacking the group trying to enter and also the entire crowd behind. The police were incredibly violent, I had my hair pulled, my ribs bruised and another student next to me was kneed in the face.” --NewsHammer 2/02/2009

Continue reading the Jan 30, 2009 article from London University's London Student

More on Gaza from London Student (online edition)


Allegations of anti-semitism at LSE

By Joseph Tandy (Jan 23) The London School of Economics (LSE) campus has been the scene of a number of anti-semitic incidents, students have alleged, as tensions surrounding protests at the conflict in Gaza ran high. Continue reading


King's occupation now in progress

By Kat Lay (Jan 20) King’s students have occupied a lecture theatre in the Strand campus, calling for the university to revoke the honorary doctorate awarded to Shimon Peres last term. Continue reading


Gaza seen through Israel's eyes

By Rebecca Benhamou (Jan 20) In 2006, over a thousand people died in Lebanon - mostly civilians. The Gaza strip being the sixth most densely populated region on the planet, Israel was aware that there were going to be mass casualties if it invaded. Continue reading


More on Gaza from London Student (print edition) Volume 29 Issue 7 Jan 19, 2009


London's students divided over Israel-Palestine conflict

Students around UL demonstrate on both sides of the political divide

By Joe Rennison, News Editor Protests against the ongoing conflict in Gaza have spread throughout University of London colleges over the past few weeks. Continue reading


LSE students occupy Old Theatre

By William Wilkes A group of about forty LSE students are occupying the university's Old Lecture Theatre, demanding action from the school over the conflict in Gaza. Continue reading


Who's at fault in the Gaza conflict?

Israel is acting in self-defence against Hamas

By Aaron Kienwald There is no shadow of doubt that the one thing emerging from the conflict in Gaza is the terrible loss of innocent civilians on both sides. Continue reading


Palestine is the victim in a long series of wrongs

By Hilary Aked Last weekend, hordes of students joined up to 100,000 people marching in London to demand an end to Israel's barbaric onslought in Gaza, the latest in a long line of wrongs inflicted on Palestinians. Continue reading

The first step of a successful invasion is controlling public opinion.

Israel has done this by banning international journalists from Gaza during their bombing campaign. Word of the violence’s extent got out due to the efforts of local journalists like Sameh Akram Habeeb, who posted this photograph online. During the war, Habeeb spent his days trying to find a way to charge his computer so that he can post photographs and blog entries to bring us the horrifying images of Gaza. SAMEH HABEEB


By Naushad Ali Husein, Hilary Barlow
Published: January 20, 2009

After 22 days of savage destruction that spared neither schools, homes, hospitals nor places of prayer, Israel has announced an end to its bombing campaign. Here are stories from the ground.


The first bomb lands while you’re writing your exam. You pause for a second, startled. But the occasional bomb has become commonplace these days, and you’ve studied too hard for this final, so you get back to work. Then there’s another explosion, and another. Your teacher tells you to finish the exam in the hallway, but the explosions don’t stop and you’re dismissed.

This is what happened to Sabah, a 19-year-old medical student at Gaza University. She rushed home, frantically trying to contact her family, all of whom survived. Nonetheless, the experience was an awakening for Sabah. “It was then that I realized that it was a big thing; it was not the ordinary bombing like on other days,” she said. “I am so afraid that I will lose my brothers or parents. I keep thinking about what would happen if they bombed the house.”

Freelance journalist and filmmaker Fida Qishta is also worried. She’s seen violence in her community for years, her family’s house was destroyed in 2004, but she says attacks from the Israeli army have gotten worse. According to Qishta, soldiers used to allow her and others to evacuate building before raids, but that is no longer the case. “You can’t even say anything to them. If you want to say something, you’re going to die.” She claims to have witnessed numerous acts of violence. “It’s really more violent,” she said. “Israel doesn’t [spare] anybody, not children, not civilians, not women.” She sees a double standard where the Israeli government cites self-defence while the Palestinian civilians hardly have a chance for the same. --NewsHammer 1/25/2009

Continue reading the Jan 20, 2009 article from the University of Toronto's theVarsity.ca