Friday 27 March 2009

Coach tickets for G20 march, London, 28th

EDIT!

sold out already! find alternative transport here http://www.putpeoplefirst.org.uk/whats-happening/coaches/ or here http://www.tuc.org.uk/

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If you're from Plymouth and wish to come to the Jobs, Justice, Climate march in London tomorrow you can join our shared coach! Buy tickets for £5 return here. We'll be leaving at 7am from the Bretonside bus station.


Monday 16 March 2009

Sheffield uni occupied!

Sheffield uni has occupied!
Check out their blog here!

Dates for yer diary!

The following is a rough list of events over the coming weeks...the specific rooms and times etc may change, but the dates should all be right.

- Friday 20th March - Film: "Waltz With Bashir" @ 7pm, Cookworthy room 402
- Saturday 21st March - M&S picket @ 1pm
- Thursday 26th March - Sameh Habeeb, Gazan Photojournalist @ 7pm, Babbage 319
- Saturday 28th March - G20 March in London (leaving Plymouth at 7am)
- Monday 30th March - Presentation from David Clinch, Devon NUT secretary (room & time TBA)
- Thurs 2nd - Sun 5th April - NATO summit, Strasbourg
- Saturday 18th April - Student co-ordinating meeting, UCL (more info)


More info to be added soon
07837788872
plymouthunioccupation@gmail.com
Cheers all!

Sunday 8 March 2009

Photos From Saturday

The public response to our presence outside M&S was pretty positive, and we certainly got a lot of attention. We were approached by a man within minutes who told us he had a gift voucher he came to spend, but seeing us outside refused to compromise on his principles. He thanked us and left. Morale was pretty high, and refused to be brought down even by the angry elderly gentleman that tore his way through the chain.

Until next Saturday, M&S.

(Indymedia article)
(Herald article)




We plan on continuing our picket of M&S every Saturday in much smaller groups of around 4 or 5. If you're free to help out any Saturday get in touch! We also have a meeting at 7 on Monday 9th in the Lounge in the SU and another on Tuesday 10th at 6 in the Lynher Room of Babbage building!

Lots to do, lots to do.

Wednesday 4 March 2009

Mass demonstration outside M&S this SATURDAY

In solidarity with the arrested students of Jayyous, University of Plymouth students have organised a mass demo this Saturday at 1 o'clock outside the doors of Marks & Spencer's in the centre of town. Both students and non-students are encouraged to attend. We estimate we'll need around 50 people to create a human chain from the Roland Levinsky Building to the M&S doors.

We're also going to ask people to draw as many chalk body outlines on the floor outside the shop as possible. We can hopefully give you some t-shirts and banners and leaflets and things, all you need is your good selves.

Any problems get in touch:
plymouthunioccupation@gmail.com
07837788872

Why M&S?


For more information on the boycott of Israeli goods, see: http://www.mylinkspage.com/israel.html
And why M&S: http://www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-marks-and-spencer.html

Emails to Sheffield Halam & Manchester

The President of Sheffield Hallam Students Union has taken it upon himself to suspend the Equal Opportunities officer, Matt Vicary after he took part in a stage occupation at the NUS conference demanding the NUS condemn Israels attacks on Gaza.

Matt's disciplinary hearing, which now will also be discussing the Hallam occupation, is due to take place this Thursday, 5th March at 3pm. We urge everyone to send a message of protest at the suspension and defend the solidarity movement within our student unions.

Please e-mail uuspresident@shu.ac.uk with your complaint, or copy and paste the following text (adding your name at the bottom) -

To the President of Hallam Union,

I am writing to express my outrage at your decision to suspend Matt Vicary from the position of Equal Opportunities for taking part in the occupation of the stage at the recent NUS conference.

When innocent people are being killed and there is a blatant injustice, it is only right that people speak out. Your decision to suspend Matt for exercising the right to free speech and peaceful protest is a disgrace to the student movement.

I urge you to reconsider this matter which you have approached in such an undemocratic manner, before the reputation of Hallam Union is damaged further.

Yours sincerely,
NAME


Manchester university have now been in occupation for nearly a month! Their vice-chancellor has so far failed to enter into negotiations and a demo is planned for this afternoon. Please take one minute of your morning to take action to support them. Copy and paste the text below into an email, adding your name at the bottom, and forward to president@manchester.ac.uk. We want to inundate him with support for the occupation! You can also call him at 0161 306 6010 to express your feelings. Please circulate widely.
Dear Vice-Chancellor Gilbert,
I am writing to express my total support for the Manchester University occupation in solidarity with Gaza and its demands.

The Manchester University occupation has been the longest and the largest of a national wave of UK university occupations in solidarity with Gaza and its students have shown admirable passion and commitment to this urgent cause. That its students are sufficiently compassionate and engaged to interrupt their own lives to this extent in order to speak out in solidarity with the victims of violence and oppression is surely something to be celebrated by Manchester University. The students have demonstrated utmost willingness to work together with the university administration and have sought negotiations throughout the entire protest.

The Manchester University occupation has the support of a strong national student movement and its principles and sentiments are reflective of those of the majority of the British public. Its demands are similar to those currently being implemented in numerous universities across the UK which are now working together with their students to put an end to their institutional collusion with the illegal Israeli occupation and find ways to use their privileged position to help those who are suffering because of it. Manchester should be no exception. Therefore we urge you to do the same and hope that you will begin working together with the students of the occupation to address their demands.

Yours sincerely,

NAME, Uni/organisation

Monday 2 March 2009

Action Week!

This week will be a continuous week of action, both in solidarity with the arrested students of Jayyous as well as in trying to increase the pressure in the run up to the meeting on the University's proposed ethical investment program in 6 weeks time.

The following is the flyer we'll be handing out this week.


NATIONAL WEEK OF ACTION FOR PALESTINE

After the successful Plymouth University occupation in solidarity with the people of Gaza, which achieved up to six fully paid for scholarships for students of Gaza University as well as the supplying of humanitarian aid to Palestine, there will be a whole week of action this week for the students of Jayyous in the West Bank.

On February 18th 2009 Israeli forces arrested over 50 Palestinian students and nearly the entire youth committee of Stop the Wall Campaign. As a result students across the UK are staging week-long co-ordinated protests at the Israeli government's actions.


EVENTS THIS WEEK IN PLYMOUTH

To keep up with all the events happening this week check the website at http://plymouthunioccupation.blogspot.com or join the Facebook group 'Plymouth Students Solidarity With Gaza'

We will have a stall all week outside the student's union, with flyers and people to talk to if you want more information about the Israeli state's UN condemned actions in Palestine.

We will also meet every evening this week at 7pm in the Hive, in the SU.

For more information, call: 07837788872
or email: plymouthunioccupation@gmail.com