How Academic World Reacted Toward the War on Gaza

The following links show how academic world reacted toward War on Gaza :

OXFORD UNIVERSITY STUDENTS OCCUPY BUILDING IN SOLIDARITY WITH GAZA

In the first week of term, over 80 Oxford University students occupied the historic Bodleian building to demand that the university release a statement condemning the attack on Gaza and cancel the lecture series at Balliol College inaugurated by Shimon Peres.

Students organised the sit-in after attending an emergency meeting in Oxford organised to discuss the war on Gaza and the precarious ceasefire. Members of the University entered the Clarendon building and sat down at 1200, British time, on Thursday 22nd January. Their demands were presented to University officials, and by 7pm the same day they acheived victory, putting an end to the occupation after reaching a successful agreement with the university.

This is the link of their blog: http://occupiedoxford.wordpress.com/

This is intended to be a peaceful non-violent occupation of Arts LR4 by students from the University of Birmingham, not representing any student society or group, acting in solidarity with the population of
Gaza and Palestinian students. We do not intend to cause any damage to university property and have made every effort to minimise disruption to teaching and other activities caused by this occupation.

We are acting in solidarity with the people of Gaza and condemn Israel’s military operation in Gaza, which we consider to be ongoing as long as the Israeli army remain in Gaza. This operation has led to the deaths of over 1200 Palestinians, including over 400 children, and the injuring of over 5000, the majority of which are innocent civilians. Many more bodies may also lie under the ruins. We do not believe that Israel’s military offensive is ‘proportionate’ or that it has honoured its obligations under international law to protect civilians. Further, we believe that humanitarian and war crimes may have taken place, including the indiscriminate targetting and killing of civilians, the use of white phosphorous as a weapon, and the obstruction and targetting of emergency medical staff, and wish to see these reports independently investigated and any parties found guilty prosecuted to the fullest extent permitted under international law. We also condemn the destruction of a significant proportion of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure, including hundreds of homes, schools, universities, mosques, hospitals, and UN installations, including warehouses containing aid and medical supplies.

We condemn the firing of thousands of rockets into southern Israel over the past 8 years by Hamas’ military wing and other armed factions within Gaza, which has terrorised the civilian population and killed 3 civilians during the Israeli army’s present operation. However, this does not mean that we do not recognise the right of the Palestinian people to resist the illegal occupation of their homeland, as described in the Geneva conventions relating to the rights of an occupied people. We are acting in solidarity with Palestinian students whose right to education is being denied by the current conflict (both directly and as a consequence of)

a) the killing and injuring of hundreds of students, teachers, and other workers associated with education in Gaza during Israel’s military operation.
b) the deliberate targetting and destruction of university buildings, the destruction of schools, the ministry of education, and other educational infrastructure in Gaza as part of Israel’s military operation.
c) the conditions of the illegal occupation enforced by the Israeli military and supported by the political and military leaders of the state of Israel within the illegally occupied Palestinian territories, which includes deliberate strategies to restrict the movement of students and generally disrupt education within the territories.

We believe recent events are part of an ongoing cycle of oppression and violence which is caused principally by the illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories by the state of Israel. We believe very strongly that to achieve a meaningful and lasting peace and justice for the populations of both Palestine and Israel that the illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories must end. We believe that this should happen immediately.

We are acting in solidarity with students at the London School of Economics, the School of Oriental and African Studies, Essex University, and other university students around the world, who have or are currently occupying areas within their own universities for similar reasons and who called on students in other universities to do the same.

We call on students in other universities, both in the UK and around the world, to occupy in solidarity with those of us who have done so already.

We call on all students, faculty, staff, and alumni of the University of Birmingham to join and provide support to the occupation.

Here is their blog: http://birminghamoccupation.wordpress.com/

King’s College Occupation in Solidarity with Gaza

Here is its URL: http://kcloccupation.blogspot.com/

About 40 students have occupied a lecture theatre in the London School of Economics on Thursday 15th January. Since then, our numbers have doubled.

We have six demands for the school and are in discussion with the administration now.

1) The school should issue a statement condemning the assault on Palestinians’ right to education and the humanitarian disaster in Gaza as a result of the war.
2) The school invests in a tracker fund which from time to time includes shares from arms companies such as BAE, which supplies weapons to Israel. We want a written assurance that the school will never again invest in war.
3) All old books and computers should be sent to Palestine
4) 5 new scholarships to be created for Palestinian students
5) Amnesty for the members of the occupation.

This is their Youtube URL:http://www.youtube.com/user/LSEoccupation and you can find their blog here: http://lseoccupation.blogspot.com/

SOAS students in solidarity with Gaza… Check it here http://soassolidarity4gaza.blogspot.com/

Sussex University Occupation…You can find their blog here http://sussexoccupation.blogspot.com/

Warwick University

About: Student Sit-In in Solidarity with Victims of the Israel-Palestine Conflict

Warwick University students have claimed a space on campus as an act in solidarity with the innocent victims in Gaza and Israel, and with the other groups in the UK which have taken similar action.

We call on our University to suspend dealings with businesses which support Israel’s illegal occupation, such as BAE Systems, and to support our fellow students in Palestine who are being denied their right to education.

There will be talks, films, workshops, debates and anything else we can arrange. The occupation of the space will continue until we believe sufficient action has been taken by the University, and the activities which take place will reflect the wishes of the group. In keeping with our support for the right to education, we will not disrupt lectures, but will maintain a constant symbolic presence.

Other universities in the country, including Birmingham, Essex, SOAS, LSE, Sussex, Kings and Oxford have already seen occupations. Others are planned and will start at any moment. This is an issue which extends far beyond the borders of Warwick, and this occupation and sit-in is undertaken as part of the wider movement. Join us!

Our Demands

1. Warwick University should suspend all relations with companies which supply the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This includes BAE Systems, MBDA, QinetiQ and Rolls Royce.

2. That the University donate old computer equipment and textbooks to universities in Palestine, specifically those that were partially destroyed in Gaza during the current Israeli military operation.

3. That the University fund and provide logistical support for a series of talks on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

4. That there be no legal, financial, or academic measures taken against anyone involved in or supporting the sit-in. This extends to the Student’s Union. Students involved should be guaranteed free movement in and out of the space.

Also:

Everyone at my school is devastated by the aftermath of the 3 week invasion. We cannot ignore the plight of the millions of Palestinians but especially those still under seige in Gaza

In unity… Jane Nellist, Secretary, Coventry, National Union of Teachers

You can find their blog here: http://warwicksolidaritysitin.wordpress.com/

Guardian: Protests over Gaza spread to eight English universities

Here is its link http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jan/22/studentpolitics-londonschoolofeconomics

Also notice the words used to describe the war. I highlighted in red above the ones we should observe: Is it War in Gaza or War on Gaza and some describe it as invasion as highlighted above… War in Gaza has different meaning than War on Gaza…We have to be careful readers for the media and news…How they are using grammar in describing it? In other words, the usage of language in describing it in media.