Despite attempts to prevent new people from getting into our space, we're planning on going ahead with tonight's meeting. This'll feature Sheffield lecturer Tom Stafford talking about the history of the involvment of academic workers in activism, and an open discussion on some big political questions like imperialism and resistance, led off by our very own Frode S.
Even if you end up not being able to get in, come and visit us at 4:30 (i.e. in twenty-five minutes!) and show your support!
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Your space? - the space you are illegally occupying? right ok.
ReplyDeleteSo now you are having talks on imperialism and resistance, thought this was about gaza - or are you simply just pushing your socialist political views?
How did you get hold of a hobbit at that kind of notice?
ReplyDeleteOnward brave activists, only by interrogation of the facts shall we uncover the truth, yours in humble support Kaing Guek Eav
ReplyDelete"So now you are having talks on imperialism and resistance, thought this was about gaza - or are you simply just pushing your socialist political views?"
ReplyDeleteI bet its the usual Stalinists, Social Workers Party etc behind this. One of them or one of their supportors even said as much in another reply suggesting not to give the game away about their real political views lest it scare people away from supporting them.
i agree, keep this about gaza. although i fully support your occupation, political stances are not the point.
ReplyDeleteThe concept of imperialism isn't one confined only to socialism. 0_o
ReplyDeleteBut it's outdated imperialist dogma which perpetuates the economic and social differences in our society which is at the root of these problems.
ReplyDeleteYou just can't have one debate without the other.
My God are you supported by Stalinist??? ARE YOU CRAZY??? Joseph Stalin was a murderer and there is nothing (I say absolutely knowing) to glorify about this man. If don't believe me ask all the victims of gulags or 10 mln of Ukrainians that were starved to death.
ReplyDeleteActually the stalinists in this uniervsity have comdemned the occupation.
ReplyDeleteThis Stalinist nonsense is just a diversion by scribblers - get on with your occupation and your support for Gaza - do not be diverted from your aims.
ReplyDeleteThere are clearly no stalinists in this occupation! hahaa xx
ReplyDeletelolz tb xxxx
ReplyDeleteActually, our occupation has been built by a very wide range of radical activists, including members of various revolutionary anti-capitalist groups as well as dozens of unaffiliated, independent activists. While our political perspectives differ we're all united in our opposition to Israel's occupation of Palestine and in our solidarity with the Palestinian people.
ReplyDeletePersonally I make no apologies for the fact that I have a socialist perspective on the Israel/Palestine conflict; our occupation has become a space where different perspectives on the conflict can be discussed and debated openly.
Our University's complicity with arms companies that make weapons that kill Palestinians cannot be divorced from the fundamental question of how our University - and, beyond it, our society - is run, and in whose interests.
If nothing else, our occupation can act as a beacon that (even if only a small level) students and workers can run a space in our university without corporate bosses and bureaucrats. If we can run one lecture theatre, twenty lecture theatres, a building, or a campus like that... then we can run the world that way, too.
Some people considered Pol Pot to be a radical activist too
ReplyDeleteYes, but some people think the world is flat. What's your point?
ReplyDeleteIf they are so anticapitalist it seems pretty hypocritical to be using the internet on a computer probably made by some big evil nasty company that only wants to make money. I can see you are really stick it to the man. A real anti capitalist would be living in the woods eating berries and living off the land.
ReplyDeleteI guess you are going to quote my post and say how much bollocks it is... well Daniel Randall, you evidently spout so much more shit than I do.
Richard, your argument is meaningless.
ReplyDeleteEvidently you've not heard of competition law. Producing profit is fine but excessive profits is not only greedy but also unethical. Corporations create barriers to entry - squeezing out the little guys. This no doubt leads to sub-optimal products/service because with less competition, there is less incentive to innovate. The corporations will therefore source cheaper materials and spend less on production - workers get paid less. They do this because they can get away with it.
"If nothing else, our occupation can act as a beacon that (even if only a small level) students and workers can run a space in our university without corporate bosses and bureaucrats. If we can run one lecture theatre, twenty lecture theatres, a building, or a campus like that... then we can run the world that way, too."
ReplyDeleteGiven that previous experiments of this kind have pretty much all ended in totalitarianism
and horrific brutality that is actually quite terrifying.
"Yes, but some people think the world is flat. What's your point?"
ReplyDeleteI think the point is we all know from history what most left wing radical people end up doing to stay in power...
Right wing, Left wing, Cappies, Commies.
ReplyDeleteCut the BullShit! This is about the university and its stance on gaza, refusers from Israel and how the university treats its working class staff.
What do the University's working class staff have to do with Gaza?
ReplyDeleteSuggest you toddle off and have a little debate amongst the occupying party, since the scope and principles of your little militant camp seem to be somewhat different than originally advertised.
Personally, I hope your VC leaves you in there long enough for this to turn into some kind of Lord of the Flies scenario. Or perhaps you could recreate Stalinist Russia for a laugh?
Go look at the demands, its been there from the first day.
ReplyDeleteIt may be in solidarity for gaza, but that dont mean they cant also demand some other side things. The main focus is still on gaza, but what good is showing support to your brothers the other side of the world if you cant even show your brothers and sisters in the university your support.
The debate already happened, it was unanimous.
You think your wishes will make them give in. Nah, it just makes them wana prove ignorant pricks such as yourself wrong.
At the end of the day, they invited everybody in to debate and negotiate, dont spam their blogg because you dont have either the intelligence or balls to go in and fight for what you believe in.
They beat you straight from the start when you never went to debate.
it's ok, we'll beat them all on the way out as they toddle off to the police station
ReplyDeleteWow - look at all these brave [anonymous] detractors.
ReplyDeleteStand firm.
"it's ok, we'll beat them all on the way out as they toddle off to the police station"
ReplyDeleteThey're either there by now or they aint going there.
"it's ok, we'll beat them all on the way out as they toddle off to the police station"
ReplyDeleteLOL, Threats of violence against a peaceful protest by an annonymous, hugely hard core of you, bet you got a tinny in 1 hand and a J in the other and all.
"it's ok, we'll beat them all on the way out as they toddle off to the police station"
ReplyDeleteWaW, a clear representative of the opposition here, willing to use force just like the university managers.
Its become apparent now that the managements heavy handed approach is starting to cause violent opposition to the peace in the general community. Yet more disruptions they are causing.
Best of luck to the occupation.
Oy you bunch of soap dodgers why don't do you do something that would actually help the people in Palestine. A sit in is a remarkably lazy way to protest that actually deflects attention from the issues that we are all aware of. Antagonizing people as you seem to be doing actually polarizes peoples opinions rather than uniting them.
ReplyDeleteYou all seem to forget that the university is an institute that transcends politics and brings together people from all over the would to learn and communicate.
If you get yer ass to westminster and try this stunt I think you would get a different treatment than you have experienced from the university management. Although ironically these are the people you need to speak to, they actually have power and influence. Sadly academics and lecturers will not solve the problems of the world.
How does the university trascend politics when it invests in the arms trade?
ReplyDeleteThe university has taken a side on the conflict in virtue of helping to build the very industry responsible for the devastation of Palestine, it's infrastructure and it's people.
There is no neutrality here and we know which side we are on!
Get out of the Hicks Building and go occupy 10 Downing Street. Or if that's not possible then just camp outside the gates - this would at least get you on national news.
ReplyDeleteI completely understand your demands but universities have no real political influence. Even if every single academic institution in the UK issued a statement condemning the disproportionate actions of Israel, nothing would happen.
What difference does it make if people are anonymous?? You keep saying how it is hiding away if we don't put our names. It seems to be one of your few retorts.
ReplyDeleteStrange how the occupiers slating those commenting as "anonymous," are the same people who are occupying the lecture theatre and not publishing their names as they do it. If the protest is so worthwhile why aren't the people in in owning up?
ReplyDelete"Oy you bunch of soap dodgers why don't do you do something that would actually help the people in Palestine."
ReplyDeleteSending them educational supplies such as books is. On the other hand, refusing to even negotiate or even talk to us face to face...now there are some real soap dodgers.
"A sit in is a remarkably lazy way to protest"
They have people giving out flyers all day, they are organising debates all day, trying to get in contact with university management, its really actually quite busy down there.
"You all seem to forget that the university is an institute that transcends politics and brings together people from all over the would to learn and communicate."
If they want to get together and communicate then they could go to the occupation and actually talk to the occupiers, but they dont even have the curtsey to do that, instead, they threatened legal actions and got a member of security to deliver it. Thats right, they dont even think they should deliver their own work, they would rather delegate such a hostile job to a face other than their own. So much for communications regardless of politics. Also The occupation is a great social interaction, its all about communications which is why they are trying to hold debates ect...but the university management are stopping people going to debate, what kind of childish behaviour is that? if the university is confident that its action is the correct action then surely they cant be that afraid that some friendly debate will win over the masses.
"If you get yer ass to westminster and try this stunt I think you would get a different treatment than you have experienced from the university management. Although ironically these are the people you need to speak to, they actually have power and influence."
This is Completely true. But as you said, we would never get anywhere with them, which is why we must win the universities. And I believe your wrong, I'm confident that academics and lecturers do have power, united in solidarity they show the government that the prime of the British education believes that what the government is doing is wrong.
"Even if every single academic institution in the UK issued a statement condemning the disproportionate actions of Israel, nothing would happen."
Wrong. Condemnations from every major university's in the UK would show the political stance of the people of the UK, this will give the Palestinians hope and it will put pressure on the government.
Again go look at the demands. Some of them are material, things like sending old books and computers, things that most the occupations are demanding. Some of these things are effectively waste to our university's, there is no harm in sending these over to a gaza university to help them, where an out of date book is better than no book, or a slow computer is better than no computer, ect.
"What difference does it make if people are anonymous?? You keep saying how it is hiding away if we don't put our names."
If you want to engage in civil debate please do so, or go down to the occupation. But some of you, such as this man/woman:
"it's ok, we'll beat them all on the way out as they toddle off to the police station"
Is simply using it as a mask to throw abuse.
"Wrong. Condemnations from every major university's in the UK would show the political stance of the people of the UK, this will give the Palestinians hope and it will put pressure on the government."
ReplyDeleteYou're wrong, I completely disagree. It would just show the political stance of the academic community in the UK. This is hardly representative of the population. Also there is still somewhat of a stigma attached to student activism. I bet the majority of the population look down on it.
In my opinion, people seem to have lost all common sense. Every other student is complaining that their lecture got moved. "Oh no! I had to climb a whole extra set of stairs today! Damn Gaza!".
ReplyDeleteJeez guys, it's really not that much of a disruption.
Everyone seems agreed that the war in Gaza must stop. This occupation is actually trying to do something about it (admittedly not the way I would, but still more than nothing), and I honestly think it's great.
Go team!
"Oh no! I had to climb a whole extra set of stairs today! Damn Gaza!".
ReplyDeleteWho the fuck have you heard saying this? I've heard "I had to go to a different lecture theatre at the last minute, in the middle of writing a dissertation that's in in 1 week, Damn Occupation!"
Don't think anyone's suggesting it's Gaza's fault their lectures are moved.
RE: If you want to engage in civil debate please do so, or go down to the occupation. But some of you, such as this man/woman:
ReplyDeletepoint of clarification, I am not a "man/woman", and I demand that you withdraw this accusation or I might just occupy your house in protest