St Andrews

Contact details for the occupation

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Email the occupiers: standrewsoccupation@googlemail.com

Contact details for the university

The Principal - Dr. Louise Richardson - principal@st-andrews.ac.uk

Occupation

Started - 12:10pm Wednesday 18th February 2009
Ended - 7pm Wednesday 25th February 2009
Where - Lower College Hall in St Salvator’s Quad
Why - In solidarity with the people of Gaza

Demands

18th February 2009
Students post up demands and give them to the university. They demand that the university:

1) Immediately suspends and pledges not to renew its contract with Eden Springs, the Israeli water company which illegally steals water from the Golan Heights. It is not enough that this contract run out this year, it must be cancelled now.
2) Puts in place a review process with the aim of suspending all ties to organisations that are publicly known to supply the Israeli military. This would specifically include:
a) Cutting all ties to BAE Systems, which provides sub-systems/components for Israeli F-16 fighter aircraft. These ties would include BAE funding of research projects at St Andrews University, industrial placements at BAE Systems as part of degrees at the University, and the hosting of any representatives of BAE Systems as part of events at the University;
b) Cutting the University’s ties with the Systems Engineering for Autonomous Systems Defence Technology Centre (SEAS-DTC), a Ministry of Defence-funded organisation designed to foster collaboration between military industry and academia. Both BAE Systems and Smiths Group are members of this organisation; in addition to BAE’s links with Israel, Smiths Group also provides Israel’s military with F-16 components;
c) Cutting all ties to the British Government’s military apparatus. Britain has consistently provided Israel with arms and military equipment, and Israeli military officials have attested to the importance of the essential items provided by Britain. The University’s ties include military research projects conducted at St Andrews and funded by, among others, the Ministry of Defence and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory;
d) Establishing an ethics committee with the responsibility of ensuring that the University of St Andrews does not accept any income in the future from organisations linked to the Israeli military.
3) Sets up a scholarship program for Palestinian Students and commits to a minimum of 10 scholarships. This would send out an important symbolic message that we will not turn a blind eye to the Palestinian students who are unable to study because of the attacks on educational infrastructure and constant state of terror which prevents students from attending university.
4) Organizes a collection on campus, including a broadcasting of the DEC appeal, for aid for Gaza, makes available non-monetary aid such as course books, desks etc. and also establishes links with the Islamic University of Gaza in order to find out how it might aid with reconstruction.
5) Following the letter signed by fifty medical students, that Bute medical school provides medical aid for Palestine in the form of medical equipment and drugs and through supporting organizations such as medical aid for Palestine (supported by Medsin).

Success

25th February 2009
The occupiers receive a statement from the university at 1pm with ‘accompanying assurances to review and investigate ties with Israel in light of the recent conflict in Gaza’.
1. Regarding Eden Springs - the university conceded ‘their current policy was not sustainable, or in keeping with their position as a Fairtrade University and have pledged to switch to tap water at the soonest possible time’.
2. Regarding ethical research and links to the arms industry - the university said although it does not apply the same ethical standards to procurement and research as they do to investment and it has ‘conceded that its position is inconsistent and will now regularly communicate its research proposals to the Students Association and the student body’.
3. Regarding scholarships - the University promised to set up a scholarship programme for people whose studies have been interrupted by conflict and natural disaster. The will also support a charity (if it is set up by the occupiers) that will give long-term scholarship support to Palestinian students.
4. Regarding establishing links with the University in Gaza - the University and the Student’s Association will reviewing long-term links with Universities in Palestine.
5. Regarding sending unused educational and medical supplies to Gaza - the university has agreed to publicise this if the students organise it.

Negotiation

25th February 2009

• They post up details of the demands they won.
• The occupiers come to an agreement with the university and decided to end the occupation. They hold a rally at 6pm and vacate the occupied area by 7pm.
• The occupiers send four representatives to negotiate with the university. they note there is an “increased presence of Estates people outside and we have heard that the university will be ‘taking a harder line’”.

24th February 2009

• At 1pm occupiers discuss the statement the university gave them after the morning meeting. They comment:

  ‘The university presented us with a statement at that meeting with the university’s position on the 5 demands. Essentially, the statement was disappointing– non-commital and not related to our demands.’

• Occupiers meet with university representatives at 10am with Chris Smith and Stephen Magee. The reps come to meet all of the occupiers in the occupied space

23rd February 2009
Occupiers meet with university.

20th February 2009

Principal Louise Richardson and Vice Principal (External Relations) Stephen McGee, and Proctor/Provost of St Leonard’s College/Dean of Graduate Studies, Christopher Smith met with occupiers. The Principle said:

• she “absolutely believes in your right to exercise civil disobedience and your point of view”, and said she had done similar activities as a student herself.
• the University would not take a stance on the conflict in Gaza and commented that other University’s Principals (Professor Sir Timothy O’Shea) were “inappropriate” to do so.
• she “feels very strongly that the university cannot come out and make a statement about a political situation”.
• admitted that she is not familiar with the University’s contract with Eden water.
• they could not set up - the idea that funds could be raised for endowed scholarships was mooted by the students.
• resources to stage student fundraising events could be arranged

The students clarified that they would be happy if the University linked to the DEC appeal rather than hosted it

• Christopher Smith reasserted the University’s previous response that the link could appear on the STAR FM website.

The students left the meeting arranging to meet on Monday 24th February 2009 - it was arranged that 2 student delegates would attend the meeting.

20th February 2009
The University, following the decision of the Executive of the Student Representative Committee to support the continuation of negotiations, arranged a committee style meeting for Monday 24th February to include representatives from the Student’s Association, one of the students in occupation, university officials, and members of the University Teaching and Research Ethics Committee.

20th February 2009
The University have a court meeting but refuse to read or distribute a short statement by the occupiers.

20th February 2009
Principal informs students that she is willing to meet occupiers during her office hours but when occupiers call her secretary they are told the first available meeting time is in April.

19th February 2009
Student meet with university officials who inform that they must leave the occupied building or the university will refuse to meet with them. They refused to make any concessions except to look into the contract with Eden Springs, though they said it was ‘highly unlikely’ the contract would be ended before it expired. They also offered to examine the way the ethical committee University Teaching and Research Ethics Committee (decisions makers on the ethical status of research funding) operates, and invited them to a meeting on Monday 24th at 17.00 with a representative of UTREC.

19th February 2009
The Student Association held an emergency meeting to discuss the occupation, four representatives of the occupiers attended. The Student Association officially wrote to both the university and the occupation to ask both parties to continue working with them as a negotiating body. They visit the occupation to deliver the letter.

19th February 2009
The University announce they will only talk to the Student Association until the occupation ends. The SA announce they fully support the right to protest in this manner and urge the University to reopen negotiations.

19th February 2009
12 noon - the University unexpectedly ceased all negotiations.

7am 19th February 2009
Lower College Hall was evacuated for a fire drill but occupiers were let back in the building promptly afterwards.

18th February 2009
The university makes an offer to the occupiers. They offered to:

• look into the contract with Eden Springs as well as the repercussions of breaking such a contract, and investigate their standing with APUC - whether they could break the contract but remaining part of that organization. They offered to look into installing more taps to cut down on bottled water consumption overall.
• Chris Smith has started to look into the university’s contracts with BAE systems, and, according to our negotiators, has already called the company. The university asked them to reconsider this demand as it would interfere with students’ research.
• allow students on the ethics committee, but have asked that the existing ethics committee be accepted as ethical, so as to avoid taking all decisions on a case-by-case basis.
• give occupiers their guidelines for the ethics committee, as well as make its workings more transparent.
• discuss links with the Islamic University of Gaza, but warned that this may take years.

They refused to:

• create 10 scholarships to Palestinian students on the basis that it is both affirmative action and positive discrimination. They are willing to create a scholarship fund for students from conflict zones, but this would not guarantee any Palestinian students received scholarships. They also want to take the best qualified from any conflict area, and not the most needy.
• post the DEC’s appeal for aid in the Gaza strip on the basis that it is preferring one cause over another; they stressed that the university is not a broadcast institution, and that this would create a precedent. They would like more specifics on where any aid would go, as well as what kind of aid, and what specifically is needed.
• send medical supplies stating the university does not have an excesses of medical supplies as they are not a clinical institution.

Said students could:

• create publicity for the DEC appeal and post it on the Wednesday announcements.

Asked the students to:

• leave the space.

18th February 2009
Occupiers attend a meeting with university officials where they respond to the demands the students made.

18th February 2009
Occupiers nominate 8 delegates, four women and four men, to negotiate with the university.

18th February 2009
The university locks the toilets.

Support

How to support the occupation

‘The campaign has received support from Noam Chomsky, Rob Harper MSP, Sandra White MSP, Pauline McNeill MSP, the playwright Carol Churchill and many other people from across the world.’

23rd Febraury 2009

• The occupiers receive messages of support from IWW and Middle East Expert Stephen Zunes.
• Steve West - Representative of PCS Union and Alan MacKinnon - Chair of Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament speak in the occupied space.

21st February 2009
Peter Cannell (National Officer of Stop the War Coalition), Sarah Glynn from Scottish Jews for a Just Peace, Richard Haley (Head of Scotland Against Criminalizing Communities), Margaret Pacetta (Glasgow-Palestine Human Rights Campaign),speak at the 3pm rally
Noam Chomsky sends a message of support
The Islamic University of Gaza sends a message of support

20th February 2009
Professor Reverend Ian Bradely of Divinity Department visited the occupation and told the occupiers that the Chaplaincy had been discussing the occupation and that he supported it.
The Arabic Department helped the occupiers research companies that supply the UK with Israeli products and visited the occupation on 20th February 2009
Occupiers have a petition with 120 signatures on it.
At 2 o’clock Dundee University’s Chaplin attended the occupation to show his support.

19th February 2009
A speaker from the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, talks to the occupiers about his experiences in Palestine.
SPSC, three students and lecturer from Dundee, three students and a supporter from Edinburgh visit the occupation to show support
Carlos Sanchis does a Spanish translation of their press release.
Supporters take them food and supplies
Speakers attend the occupation. They include Mike B. (of Edinburgh University Occupation), Kevin Dunion (Rector of St Andrews), Dr Alan M. (Lecturer at St Andrews), James Shields and Andrew Keenan (SRC Members and Sabbaticals), Carlo J. Midello (Economics Lecturer at Dundee University) and an Islamic Author/Journalist. Messages of solidarity come from various places including the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, The Scottish Socialist Party, The Jayyous Student Appeal and MSP/MPs.
Maisha (a local restaurant) supply them with free food.

Protest

21st February 2009
3pm occupiers hold a rally. Over 100 people show up to it.

20th February 2009
A group of student occupiers staged a peaceful protest outside of a scheduled meeting of the University Court to protest the halting of negotiations and to demand a meeting with the Principal, a request that had been denied in negotiations.