February 09, 2009

Spirit of '68?

You guessed, another occupation, this time at Glasgow University. The Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign is naturally rather pleased about that.

Glasgow University students have entered into occupation.

"We are currently occupying the top floor of the Computer Science building in solidarity with the Gazan people, and in protest to the war crimes committed by the state of Israel against the Palestinian people, the University\'s complicity in this via links to the arms trade, and the BBC\'s refusal to show the DEC appeal.

If you want to join the occupation, or show your support outside, the Computer Science building is located behind the Queen Margaret Union, and opposite the Boyd Orr building.

The Demands of the Occupation will follow.

In Solidarity,

The Occupying Students of Glasgow University."

Website: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://glasgowunioccupation.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=54333547006

E-Mail: glasgowunioccupation@gmail.com

Please send your messages of support, and join the demonstration outside the Computer Science building tomorrow (Tuesday) at 11am.

Philip Weiss has picked up on the Independent's report likening what Israel's barbarism has sparked off to the student rebellions of 1968.

Around the UK, thousands of students have occupied lecture theatres, offices and other buildings at more than 20 universities in sit-down protests. It seems that the spirit of 1968 has returned to the campus.
The Independent quotes the SWP's John Rose as saying that the fury sparked by Israel has led to University's complying with student demands. This, for him, is the 68 factor, in that this shows what student actions can achieve.

But we must ask, what did '68 achieve? Eleven years later, we in the UK got Thatcher for PM. Now among the student demands of '68 were divestments from and boycotts of South Africa because of apartheid. Thatcher's legacy is still very much with us in the UK. But apartheid was defeated in spite of the support it received from both Thatcher and Reagan. If nothing else gives, might the right sacrifice racist Israel over all this? Here's hoping!

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