UCL students expel the military from their campus
UCL anti-war activist | 06.03.2008 20:27 | Anti-militarism | Education | Terror War | London
University College London's students' union, UCL Union, voted to ban the officer training corps, territorial army and all other military recruiters from its premises and events, in what was its best attended general meeting in years, denying the military access to new recruits.
University College London Union bans military recruiters from its premises and
events.
LONDON, ENGLAND - March 5 - University College London's students' union voted to pass a motion in its Annual General Meeting to ban the Officer Training Corps, University Royal Navy Units, University of London Air Squadron and all other
military organisations from the union's fresher's events and other union
sponsored events, Union premises, and student run media.
Military recruiters had previously been given access to UCL Union's "freshers'
fayre" and are allowed by nearly all other British universities. Approximately
fifty percent of British military officers are recruited through university
based military organisations so denying them access to campus is an important
part of a counter-recruitment strategy for the anti-war movement.
The motion passed states "This Union believes 'That because the British military
under the Labour Government is currently engaged in an aggressive war overseas,
for the Union to use its resources to encourage students to join the military
or participate in military recruitment activities at this time would give
political and material support to the war.'"
The Annual General Meeting had the largest attendance in UCL's recent history
with more than 325 people in attendance at the start of the meeting, making it
the first UCL Union General Meeting to make the Union's 1% quorum since 2003.
Other motions passed include twinning with two Palestinian universities, voting
against the NUS governance review, and against UCL administration's support for
lifting the cap on top up fees.
events.
LONDON, ENGLAND - March 5 - University College London's students' union voted to pass a motion in its Annual General Meeting to ban the Officer Training Corps, University Royal Navy Units, University of London Air Squadron and all other
military organisations from the union's fresher's events and other union
sponsored events, Union premises, and student run media.
Military recruiters had previously been given access to UCL Union's "freshers'
fayre" and are allowed by nearly all other British universities. Approximately
fifty percent of British military officers are recruited through university
based military organisations so denying them access to campus is an important
part of a counter-recruitment strategy for the anti-war movement.
The motion passed states "This Union believes 'That because the British military
under the Labour Government is currently engaged in an aggressive war overseas,
for the Union to use its resources to encourage students to join the military
or participate in military recruitment activities at this time would give
political and material support to the war.'"
The Annual General Meeting had the largest attendance in UCL's recent history
with more than 325 people in attendance at the start of the meeting, making it
the first UCL Union General Meeting to make the Union's 1% quorum since 2003.
Other motions passed include twinning with two Palestinian universities, voting
against the NUS governance review, and against UCL administration's support for
lifting the cap on top up fees.
UCL anti-war activist
Homepage:
http://uclu.org
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