Warwick

Contact details for the occupation

Visit their website
Contact the occupiers:
Press contact: 07868 398545
Email: warwicksitin@googlemail.com

Contact details for the university

Contact the Vice-Chancellor -Professor Nigel Thrift - through his PA Catryn Hemlock
Telephone: 024 765 23630
Email: C.Hemlock@warwick.ac.uk

Occupation

Started - 22nd January 2009
Ended - 30th January 2009
Where - Room S0.21 of Social Studies
Why - In solidarity with the people of Gaza

Demands

Demands
1. Warwick University should suspend all relations with companies which supply the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This includes BAE Systems, MBDA, QinetiQ and Rolls Royce.
2. That the University donate old computer equipment and textbooks to universities in Palestine, specifically those that were partially destroyed in Gaza during the current Israeli military operation.
3. That the University fund and provide logistical support for a series of talks on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
4. That there be no legal, financial, or academic measures taken against anyone involved in or supporting the sit-in. This extends to the Student’s Union. Students involved should be guaranteed free movement in and out of the space.

23rd Janaury 2009
Updated demands:

1. Warwick University should suspend all relations with companies which supply the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This includes BAE Systems, MBDA, QinetiQ and Rolls Royce.
2. That the University expresses its sorrow for the infringement of the right to education in the Gaza conflict, by releasing a statement to this effect, and by donating old computer equipment and textbooks to those universities in Gaza that were partially destroyed during the current Israeli military operation.
3. That the University fund and provide logistical support for a series of talks on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
4. That there be no legal, financial, or academic measures taken against anyone involved in or supporting the sit-in. This extends to the Student’s Union. Students involved should be guaranteed free movement in and out of the space.

22nd January 2009
Revised list of demands:

1. Warwick University should suspend all relations with companies which supply the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This includes BAE Systems, MBDA, QinetiQ and Rolls Royce.
2. That the University donate old computer equipment and textbooks to universities in Palestine, specifically those that were partially destroyed in Gaza during the current Israeli military operation.
3. That the University fund and provide logistical support for a series of talks on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
4. That there be no legal, financial, or academic measures taken against anyone involved in or supporting the occupation. This extends to the Student Union. Students involved will be guaranteed free movement in and out of the occupied space.

21st January 2009
1st set of demands

1.Warwick University should suspend all relations with companies which supply the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This includes BAE Systems, MBDA, GE Aviation, QinetiQ and Rolls Royce.
2.That the University donate old computer equipment and textbooks to universities in Palestine, specifically those that were partially destroyed in Gaza during the current Israeli military operation.
3.That the University fund and provide logistical support for a series of talks on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Negotiation

11th February 2009
Three representatives from the Warwick sit-in met with university officials in the morning.

8th February 2009
The occupiers let us know what they have been doing, which includes: meetings and setting up working groups as well as looking to create a national movement.

2nd February 2009
The occupiers hold a meeting at 6pm in MS.B3.03 to discuss the next steps.

30th January 2009
The occupiers are informed through the Student Union that the University are ready to negotiate. The university posts up a statement which says they will negotiate with the SU mediating.

29th January 2009
The University continues the correspondence with the occupiers but they feel most of their demands are not being addressed.

The Emergency General Meeting of the Student Union is held at 6pm in MS.02. The Union votes on whether to condemn the situation in Gaza and support the student occupation. The meeting had the largest attendance in ten years and 83% voted in favour condemning the humanitarian crisis and offer support for the student occupation. The occupiers feel that their occupation raised so much awareness that this was possible and think that the vote would have been unlikely won if the occupation had not happened.

27th January 2009
The occupiers try to decide what to do about the latest offer from the university. They also managed to get the 104+ signatures needed to call an Emergency General Meeting to discuss the Union’s policy towards the conflict in Gaza.
As planned lectures resumed in the occupied space and the occupiers only maintained a symbolic presence while they were happening. Some of the lectures announced their support during their lectures.

23rd January 2009
The university writes three paragraphs about the futility of the occupation in The Coventry Telegraph. They had said they were ‘ill-equipped to respond to our demands due to the VC being ill and other factors’. The occupiers post up a rebuttal of these comments and ask the university to start negotiations with them.

Students issue their updated demands.

Security confirmed all lectures had been moved for the day.

22nd Janaury 2009
The occupiers release their revised set of demands and note that although their Vice-Chancellor is off sick, the Deputy Registrar has, stated his willingness to start negotiations. The Student Union offered its services as a mediator. The University moved all lectures in the occupied space - leaving the occupiers with the task of redirecting students.

21 January 2009
Warwick students occupy a space on campus and post up their reasons for doing so with a list of demands:

Warwick students declare their intention to occupy a space on campus.

Support

24th January 2009
The occupiers receive a call from Councillor Rob Windsor who tells them that 500-800 on a a peace walk in Coventry gave the occupation ‘a round of applause and a pledge of support’.
Peter Tatchell dropped in to support the occupation.

23rd Janaury 2009
Messages of support received including one from Noam Chomsky

22nd January 2009

More messages of support.
• Messages of support from people including Tony Benn. Warwick Pride, (local LGBT campaigning society), cancell day of their Awareness Week in solidarity with our action, and plan to attend the occupation instead.
• The occupiers receive a messages of support. One from Avi Shlaim, FBA, Professor of International Relations at St Antony’s College, Oxford and one from Geoff Brown, the Secretary of the Manchester Trades Union Council who tells them:
  

  “Tonight’s meeting of the Manchester Trades Union Council, with delegates from branches of the RMT, UNITE, UNISON, FBU, NUJ, PCS, USDAW and UCU unions, voted unanimously to send a message of support to the student occupations in Sussex, Warwick, King’s and LSE protesting Israel’s attack on Gaza and its continuing blockade.”

21st January 2009

• The occupiers say:
  

  “Messages of solidarity have been very powerful, from other student groups, other occupations, old warwick students, trades unions and individuals. An hour ago union sabbatical officers came by with chocolate and water! We have also just learned that Warwick Pride, who are in the middle of their Awareness Week, have decided to suspend their week and join our protest - a wonderful tribute.”

• Alan Miller (Lecturer University of St. Andrews) send them a poem written by Michael Rosen along with the supportive comment: ‘It is right that you occupy against this wrong. Thankyou’
• One way you can help is to donate blankets, candles and medical supplies to the people of Gaza. Drop donations off at at Habibi restaurant in Far Gosford Street, Coventry, between 5pm and 11pm every day.

Events

28th January 2009
Talks - Anarchists Against The Wall at 5pm and John Rose at 6/6:30pm

27th January 2009
Films and music in the occupied space.

26th January 2009
The occupiers had a whole day oftalks including one about the Black Panthers.

25th January 2009
They ran several talks over the weekend

24th January 2009
Students post up details of yesterday.

23rd January 2009

• Clarrifaction of talk by ISM.
• Schedule for the day - including meetings, talks and a visit from Counsellor Rob Winsor.

22nd Janaury 2009

• Events for the day, including a summery of what the talks were about.
• A variety of talks heldISM and PSC
• Their plans for the day were:
  10-11 Letter-writing
  11-2 Craft workshop and banner making
  12-1 Solidarity lunch (bring and share!)
  3-4pm Media liaising
  5pm Reconvene for Barnaby’s arms trade workshop
  7 onwards Speakers from the International Solidarity Movement, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, NUS… and many other groups and individuals

21 January 2009

• Manar, a Palestinian from Coventry, spoke and led a discussion on the situation in Palestine
• Protestors hold a series of meetings, films and host speakers.
  Their agenda for the day was:
  SIT-IN STARTS @ 12:30
  First meeting and planning sesh: 12:30-2:30
  Banner-making, flyering and “networking”: 2:30-3:30
  Film showing, “The Iron Wall”: 3:45-4:35
  Talk from Manal Timraz, followed by a lead debate: 7:00-10:00
  Late-planning and late-talking: 10 til late