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."
Comments
Hide the following 10 comments
sorry for all the typos
22.02.2005 21:42
student
well done
23.02.2005 18:06
ruth
eh?
24.02.2005 12:50
bandora
eH?
24.02.2005 15:13
xxx
...window smashed too
24.02.2005 17:25
smash zionism
...
24.02.2005 20:19
Such as
l;et's take a quick look round the region
25.02.2005 00:57
Well, there's the repression/human rights issue. Jordan is, I suppose, a relatively open society. But you can look at another Israeli neighbour, Syria, the inventor, together with N Korea of the hereditary president concept. Not exactly a liberal society. And don't try to be gay in Egypt, cos they'll look you up. Well, we could look further afield to Saudi Arabia, bastion of religious freedom. Maybe Iran, when you get 14 years in jail if you're a blogger. As for the Iranian trreatment of women ... Maybe Kuwait? Oman? Qatar?
So, out of about 12 countries in the region, Israel doesn't come out too badly by comparison. But do we see smashed doors for a Saudi ambassador, or Egyptian, or Iranian ambassadors? No. That's why some people think that Indymedia and its like are just a wee bit prejudiced.
xxx
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25.02.2005 23:17
Are you happy, therefore, that the situation with Israel and the Palestinians is comparable to that of other tyrannies? Begging us to let you oppress the Palestinians because other people are is not a sufficient moral argument. In fact, how can any argument about 'freedom' and 'democracy' coming from the states be taken seriously when it one-sidedly supports Israeli terrorism, detains and tortures people without trial, ignores the UN.
Before we deal with the Saudi's or North Korea, let's look in our own back yard. And lo and behold, in our back yard we can see the US and Britain supporting the oppressive policies of Israel all the way.
It's not a matter of bias. It's a matter of which country we're funding. Us activists have dealt with South Africa, Indonesia, countries who we sold weapons to and supported for so long. Now we are dealing with Israel. When the Palestinians are free from Israeli persecution, we'll move onto a different tyranny we're supporting with arms and money.
Hermes
The UK does not fund Israel
26.02.2005 00:58
The UK, to my knowledge, does not fund Israel. The US is free to do what it wants.
xxx
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26.02.2005 12:36
Hermes