More Photos of Cardiff occupation end

Exiting the Shandon Lecture Theatre - our home over the previous few days

Procession from the Shandon Lecture Theatre

Final rally held outside the union to applause from other students

Emerging into sunlight

Photos of the End of the Occupation

Leanne Wood, Plaid Cuymru AM, visits the occupation

Emerging from the main building carrying a coffin with pictures of some

of the victims of Israeli violence

Cardiff Divests, Occupation wins :-)

Occupation Film

A link to a short film on the Cardiff Occupation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GyVGfJDyMw

Occupation 1 - 0 University

-- VICTORY!! --

Cardiff Students Against War is ENDING OUR OCCUPATION of the Large Shandon lecture theatre, Cardiff University Main Building! We're about to leave, march around campus to declare our victory, and make our continued presence known to the university community. Banners and megaphones, BOOKS not BOMBS!

Following the open letter to Vice Chancellor David Grant, the BOOKS not BOMBS demonstration outside the Student Union and the subsequent occupation of the Large Shandon, Cardiff University has divested all shares from BAe Systems and the aerospace arm of General Electric! They have instructed their external fund managers to avoid future investments in the arms trade, and have promised to raise the issue of an ethical investment policy at the next Council Meeting on May 18th. They are also willing to discuss the provision of surplus computers and resources to institutions in Gaza.

The victory comes after three days of occupation which has been inundated with messages of support from all over the country, as well as further afield. This has included university staff, students and societies, local Plaid Cymru politicians and groups, activist groups such as CND Cymu, No Borders South Wales and South Wales Anarchists, and has had extensive press coverage, from the local papers and student publications to Indymedia and the BBC. We are extremely proud to have received a message of solidarity from Noam Chomsky!

We see this as the beginning, not the end. The occupation has attracted considerable interest and support from the Cardiff University community, and has succeeded in raising awareness of the effects of the arms trade and the horrific situation in Gaza. Cardiff Students Against War will continue to campaign on these issues, and to make sure that the university doesn't go back on its promises.

So well done to everyone who has been involved!!

But it's not over yet. The campaign will continue because we believe that Cardiff Uni should be doing more for Gaza, such as facilitating scholarships to Gazan students and boycotting Israeli products in protest at the treatment of Palestinians by the IDF, and the settlers occupying the West Bank.

POST-OCCUPATION SOCIAL!!
Tonight!
Pen & Wig 7.30!!

Lets all go for a drink to discuss what we've got, where we want to take the campaign, unwind after several fraught days and generally get a little bit pissed :)

Next CSAW Meeting!!
Monday!
Bute Cafe 5.30

We need to seriously discuss our next step. The occupation was a great experience, made highly significant progress on its aims and succeeded in bringing this issue to light. But it ain't over yet, there are still 1.4 million people trapped in Gaza with no homes, very little food, no access to work, and, according to the Gazan students we talked to last night, continued Israeli aggression despite the ceasefire. We want the university to facilitate scholarships for Gazan students, a boycott of Israeli products in uni shops, an official day of action and definite fundraising activities to ease the humanitarian situation there.

So if you take anything from this email, it should be that THE BATTLE IS WON, BUT THIS WAR AGAINST WAR MUST CONTINUE!!

In peace, solidarity and love,

Dan Drummond
Cardiff Students Against War

Victory for Cardiff Student Occupiers!

The occupation of Cardiff University has ended with success as Cardiff University acceded to the occupiers’ key demand – to divest from the arms trade. Cardiff University have given students written confirmation that they have divested from the arms trade and have instructed fund managers not to reinvest.

The occupation will end at 4pm today with the mass of students walking out together waving occupation banners and chanting ‘Free, Free, Palestine’. They then held a ‘Books not Bombs’ rally as they marched around campus declaring their success.

The victory comes after three days of occupation which has made students across the campus aware of the £209, 000 worth of shares which, until yesterday, Cardiff University held in the arms trade. This included BAE Systems and General Electric who supplied Israel with weapons used in the recent attacks on Gaza.

The Cardiff Occupation, organised by Cardiff Students Against War, was in opposition to the University’s investment in the arms trade and to the atrocities committed in Gaza, where 1.4 million Palestinians are blockaded in a semi-autonomous apartheid state.

The occupation has been inundated with messages of support including most notably one from Noam Chomsky:

I am very pleased to learn about the courageous and honourable actions of the Cardiff University students. These are particularly significant because of Britain's role in arms sales generally, and it's contribution to the savage onslaught on Gaza and on the occupied territories generally, second only to the decisive role of the United States -- a disgrace for all of us. I hope you have the greatest success in arousing public opinion and bringing these crimes to an end.
The action at Cardiff is the twenty-eighth UK student occupation to have taken place in the last few weeks. This unprecedented wave of student dissent has seen many university’s capitulating to demands. The Cardiff activists hope their success will inspire other students to hold occupations on their own campuses.

Arla Gramper, 22, who took part in the occupation said: "Our success here at the occupation is a great realisation of what can be achived by direct action. It’s a starting point upon which we plan to build larger, wider reaching campaign to engage many more people in the debate and lobby the university.”

The actions don't end here and Cardiff Students Against War will continue to campaign to ensure the University cements its promise not to reinvest by putting it in policy and to fight against the deportation of Saudi ex-BAE trade unionist Yahya Al Faifi.

Love and Rage,
Cardiff Students Against War

OCCPATION Day 3

We have a big decision to make.

The university says it has divested from BAe Systems and the aerospace arm of General Electric, and has 'asked its external fund managers not to invest in these areas in the future'. This is a massive gain for Cardiff Students Against War, but this only came to us in an email from Louise Casella, the Strategic Development Director, with whom we have been in negotiations. In reality it might mean little unless it is presented to us on university letterheaded paper, signed by someone important. Furthermore there are still many demands left unanswered. Either way, this isn't the end and we are looking to step up our lobbying, petitioning and awareness-raising activities whether or not the occupation continues.

We're having a debate at 1.00 about whether / how to end the occupation on this victory, so we need EVERYONE involved in the campaign to come down and thrash this out.

Large Shandon lecture theatre.
Main Building.
NOW.

Stay tuned for developments.

CSAW out.