Israeli ambassador disrupted at SOAS
student | 22.02.2005 20:42 | Anti-militarism | London | World
Anti-aparthied student activists today tried to prevent an Israeli government official from speaking at SOAS. A demonstration was held, before fire alarms went off and everyone had to leave the University buildings, exactly as the ambassador was due to begin his talk.
Roey Gilad, a senior political counsel at the Israeli embassy in London, was invited to speak at the London University college by the Jewish soceity. This caused outrage amongst students who voted to pass a motion in the student union banning him from appearing.
Following media pressure, the director of SOAS overruled the decision of the students, and with a heavy security presence, he this evening arrived.
Students held placards reading, "Freedom of speech for Mordechai Vanunu" and "End the occupation."
Just as the speech was to begin at 7pm, the fire alarm sounded, and that was that...well, for an hour or so, after which point everybody filed back in.
In a statement the anonymous activists said that they acted in solidarity with Mordechai Vanunu, Israeli refuseniks and the Palestinian people. They said, "Roey Gilad said he wants to come here to put 'the other side of the argument.' There is no justification for occupation, aparthied and the systematic abuses of human rights."
Following media pressure, the director of SOAS overruled the decision of the students, and with a heavy security presence, he this evening arrived.
Students held placards reading, "Freedom of speech for Mordechai Vanunu" and "End the occupation."
Just as the speech was to begin at 7pm, the fire alarm sounded, and that was that...well, for an hour or so, after which point everybody filed back in.
In a statement the anonymous activists said that they acted in solidarity with Mordechai Vanunu, Israeli refuseniks and the Palestinian people. They said, "Roey Gilad said he wants to come here to put 'the other side of the argument.' There is no justification for occupation, aparthied and the systematic abuses of human rights."
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