Birmingham students launch underground press

Students at the University of Birmingham have launched an alternative newspaper in response to recent expulsions at Matthew Boulton College and censorship of the existing newspaper.

Free Press

Two students at Matthew Boulton College in Birmingham were expelled this month (see reports from NUS Online and UCE Union of Students) for distributing a short newsletter critical of ttheir university. Inspired by both this and an alternative press workshop at Shared Planet 2005, a group of students at the University of Birmingham started their own newsletter - The Radish.

The official student newspaper at Birmingham is Redbrick, on the go since 1936. However, all copy has to be approved by the Guild of Students and in recent months the censorship has been taken to extremes. No criticism of the Guild or University is allowed, and quotes have been altered. The Radish will feature side-by-side comparisons of censored and uncensored articles in one of the next two issues. A direct quote from a Guild staff member is: "Free speech is OK, if it is approved by us."

The Radish is a printed extension of an unofficial message board (at

http://www.createphpbb.com/radish/). The official Guild message boards were closed down after complaints about censoring of online posts. All Radish issues are made available to download in PDF format.

We are currently seeking sustainable printers and advertisers, as (predictably) the Guild of Students will not allow us to use their facilities or apply for funding. Any information on sustainable paper suppliers, ethical (news)printers or potential advertisers in the Birmingham area will be gratefully received! We're moving up to an eight-page (two double-sided A3) issue with an initial distribution of 1000.

John Preece
e-mail: ub_radish@yahoo.co.uk
Homepage: http://www.createphpbb.com/radish/

Additions

new web address

13.02.2006 03:10

Theres a new website address: www.theradish.org.uk. Some good discussion been had!

Now into an 8 page issue, every 2 weeks.
Gig to raise funds on Sat 18th Feb, The Vale, Shakleton Bar.
Cracked actors, and some student bands as well.

greend
Homepage: http://www.theradish.org.uk

Comments

Hide the following 3 comments

Good luck

26.01.2006 17:08

I graduated from Brum last year, and I remember there being loads of issues with Redbrick for the past couple of years. I have to say if I was at the Uni and I heard a Guild Staff member saying freedom of speech is ok but only if it's cleared by them, I'd have done everything in my power to have them and their censorship removed.

So good luck to the Radish!

PS. Any chance you can publish online too so interested Alumni can see?

Duncan
mail e-mail: duncan.frostick@gmail.com

Hasbara Zionists Bully Guild of Students into Submission

26.01.2006 18:54

Good luck too people :)

Please keep us updated on Brum Indymedia.

I feel it's also worth pointing out how much the Guild of Students at Birmingham University attempted to stop Palestinian Students organising together to form their own student society a couple of years ago. Hasbara Zionists and morally bankrupt Guild executives claimed the formation of a Palestinian Society: "would attract racists to the Guild".

A racist Guild Executive also censored the Palestinian Society and the University's Bust the War Society. Their arbitrary attempts at censorship are still evident if you take a look at Birmingham University's Palestinian Society website here:

http://students.bugs.bham.ac.uk/palestinian/main_intro.htm

I understand the Palestinian Society and Islamic Society were taking legal action against the University and it's Guild of Students following a litany of unaddressed grievances including the charge of 'institutionalised racism'.

Can anyone update us with this legal challenge?

Sue their asses!

Our Struggles against the Guild

26.01.2006 19:02

Running the Palestinian Society at the University of Birmingham has been a constant struggle.

1) Initially we were denied the right to set up Palestinian Society by the guild executive for the following reasons: (quoted from Guild Exec minutes)

* Palestinian Society would create a forum for racism
* Palestinian Society would jeopardise the safety of the university
* Palestinian Society would provide a platform for extreme political groups

There were 5 votes in favour of banning us, 1 against, 2 abstentions.

2) The guild executive tried to obstruct our first event. By way of explanation, Jenny Lennox, the ever wise VP for Internal affairs said "I am not racist, but prejudiced.."

3) Every poster we have put up to advertise the society has been torn down, often with the approval of the impartial Exec.

4) Our members have been constantly harrassed by zionist activists in various ways:

* Blocking stalls
* Taking duplicate leaflets to prevent wide distribution. (We have recently been forced to introduce a charge for multiple leaflet requests to cover our costs)
* Resorting to bad language when experiencing a bout of cognitive dissonance.
* Non-exec-zionists obsessively complaining about our activities to the exec.

5) Pro-Sharon media outfits like the Jewish Chronicle have published articles to smear our reputation and to confuse the issue.

6) A warning by the Guild President not to use the word Palestine because this may imply taking a side in the Israel-Palestine dispute.

7) Repeated complaints about this harmless website have resulted in removal of pages and pictures by the Exec.

8) We will soon publish the voluminous hate-mail we have been receiving on this website.

back

cut 'n paste from Palestinian Society website
Homepage: http://students.bugs.bham.ac.uk/palestinian/struggles.htm