Defend Sheffield Hallam activists
Sheffield Hallam student union activists are being victimised by their own union. Below is a report from the website of the Sheffield Hallam occupation in solidarity with the people of Gaza. Their is a demonstration tomorrow in support of these activists. Communist Students urges you to attend.
Protest – Assemble 2:30pm Thursday 12th Feb at the HUBS, Sheffield Hallam Students Union, Paternoster Row.
Report from – http://shuoccupation.blogspot.com/2009/02/suspended-for-supporting-gaza.html
Suspended for supporting Gaza!
Sheffield Hallam Students’ Union is victimising Matt Vicary, Equal Opportunities officer for supporting the protests and occupations against the siege of Gaza. Matt is a dedicated and committed activist trying to force his Union to take up political campaigns and has been suspended by dictat of the President without being informed of the complaints or charges against him.
Accusations.
The only accusation put to Matt was that he was “in breach of conduct” for taking part in a stage protest at NUS conference over its refusal to condemn Israeli aggression and for supporting the occupation at Sheffield Hallam. The student occupations have found support from around the world and we must make sure that some of our most committed activists are not victimised as a result. We are calling for the disciplinary to be postponed until Matt receives details of the evidence against him.
Lewie Morris – a second victimisation.
On the same day at 5pm the Union will discuss formalising its removal of another leftwing officer from its executive Lewis Morris, Union Welfare officer for opposing constitutional reform. That the victimisations of all the Unions leftwing representations should happen on the same day over unconnected charges is a farce.
Several students at Sheffield Hallam University have been threatened with suspension because of their participation in the recent occupation of the university. The student union has refused to condemn this and refused to fight for its own members. We should fight for the type of union that promotes student activism – not bans it.
Stand in solidarity with Matt and the students by protesting:
DEMONSTRATION AGAINST THE VICTIMISATION OF STUDENTS TAKING PART IN SOLIDARITY ACTION OVER GAZA CRISIS:
Assemble 2:30pm Thursday 12th Feb at the HUBS, Sheffield Hallam Students Union, Paternoster Row.
You can also email Russ Swannack, the union president, to express your sentiments: r.swannack@shu.ac.uk, uuspresident@shu.ac.uk
You can also join the ‘FREE GAZA; Stop victimisations at Sheffield Hallam!’ Facebook group and send messages of solidarity: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=54289401540&ref=mf
I agree with the action taken against Vicary, as I do not believe anyone in the posistion of Equal Opportunities Officer should be so clearly biased. Whether I agree with the opinions or not, the university and all those involved must remain politically neutral, as to better understand everone’s point of view.
I feel that Vicary has now taken this experience and chosen to martyr himself, seeking sympathy which strikes me as an attempt to gather support for his presidential campaign.
There is no such thing as political neutrality. It is a fallacy. And any attempt to embody it will simply lead to a *mis*understanding of peoples views, not further enlightenment.
Furthermore, political neutrality is not required of SU officers, so why should they be disciplined for failure to live up to your expectations? SU officers and other elected representatives should be able to be held accountable to the electorate who voted them in and nobody else.
This is clearly an anti-democratic attempt to punish someone for their involvement in political activity – you admit as much yourself – not anything to do with “breach of conduct”. A clear case of victimisation.