Protesters Forced out Despite Dons' Support
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Friday January 30th 2009 e Independent Cambridge Student Newspaper since 1947 Issue no 688 | varsity.co.uk »p16 Fashion »p20 Features »p19 Features For Your Showcasing the best of Cambridge’s We talk to Shami Eyes Only graphic design & designers Chakrabati of Liberty Protesters forced out ANDREW BELLIS despite dons’ support Law Faculty occupation ‘starved out’ after University threatens legal action Six-day demonstration ends with minor concessions made to protest’s demands quite astonished to learn that Cambridge importance of British engagement with Elliot Ross University had responded by attempting the Israeli-Palestinian con ict.“ ere Student protesters ended their six-day to starve the students out.” are other crisis spots right now, too, but occupation of the Law Faculty yesterday, Andrew Chitty, a lecturer at the Uni- this one points a nger at us because we claiming they had been “starved out” versity of Sussex, has written to Vice- have done nothing real, for so long,” he by the University and following a threat Chancellor Alison Richard to express wrote. “Whichever way you look, it is of legal action against them. e group his “dismay” at the University’s “heavy- just shameful. Intelligent human com- issued a statement saying: “We did not handed methods”. Equivalent protests at munities have an special duty to look fail. We were failed by the University.” Sussex ended amicably a er an agree- for understanding and to make it work, e University is facing accusations ment was reached over their occupation’s not to sit pat on our useless hands.” of “bullying” and “failed leadership” demands. Dr Chitty told Prof. Richard But academic opinion has been from academic sta and students over that Cambridge’s response brought the far from unanimous on the issue. No its handling of the Gaza protest. It “cat- University into “disrepute”. equivalent condemnation of the dem- egorically denies” both bullying and e protest has found support within onstration has been issued, but Mat- underhand tactics. the academic community in Cambridge. thew Kramer, Professor of Legal and e accusations came a er Regis- 35 Cambridge academics have expressed Political Philosophy, called the protest trary Jonathan Nicholls issued a sec- sympathy with the protest and its de- “a puerile act of collective masturbation ond ultimatum carrying the threat of mands, including prominent poet J.H. in which the object is not really to im- legal action and refusing protesters the Prynne, Raymond Geuss, Robert Mac- prove any situation”. right to return to the building. Exist- farlane and Priyamvada Gopal. Mathematician Geo rey Grimmett ing stocks of food were disposed of by An open letter to the Vice-Chancel- said “the University is a place of educa- University o cials, who recorded pro- lor signed by 29 academics concludes: tion and research, not politics. e act testers’ names and photographed them. “We do not believe there is a substantial of occupation runs counter to the very e University said last night that stu- con ict of interest between the Univer- qualities of Cambridge that attracted us dents would not be punished, even sity, its sta and the students on these h e re .” though their actions were in breach of matters. ese students are showing ough the University refused to ac- matriculation requirements. motivation, drive, commitment, per- cede to any of the occupation’s six de- English don Chris Warnes called the severance, and principle in abundance mands, its negotiators have indicated University’s response “a failure of leader- – exactly the qualities we as teachers their willingness to endorse a statement ship” and “a disgrace”. He attacked “the value most in our students. We would made by Universities UK condemning cheapness and the way they bullied those thus urge you and your negotiating the destruction of academic institu- students”. Former UK Ambassador to Uz- team to respond sympathetically to the tions in Gaza, and to notify faculties Protesters outside the Law bekistan Craig Murray, who was refused student proposals.” and Colleges of existing opportunities Faculty minutes a er the access to the building to address the pro- In his message of support to the dem- for humanitarian fundraising. occupation ended testers one Tuesday evening, said: “I was onstration, J.H. Prynne stressed the More details on page 4 Something to say? [email protected] Friday January 30th 2009 2 Editorial Call the Editors directly on 01223 761541 varsity.co.uk Contents Noble but futile here is much to admire in the protesters who occupied the Law Faculty over the last week. Their strength of conviction contrasts sharply with the apathy prevalent in the student body as a whole, and some of them have shown remarkable News »p1-7 Tresilience in keeping up the protest. During the occupation they created an ethos of consensual decision-making: it was organised, polite, and there was a sophisticated level of discussion. It was also exciting and passionate, far removed from the The occupation in depth » p4 bureaucratic processes embraced by CUSU. Moreover, their cause – the humanitarian rescue of the Gazan people – is one All you ever wanted to know about the supported by nearly all people in this University and in this country. five-day protest in the Law Faculty. However, the protestors undermined their message with some of their methods. The demands issued to the University were in parts unrealistic, and gave an impression that the protesters were speaking on behalf of students as a whole, who have registered disquiet at the occupation’s modus operandi and specific demands even while supporting their cause. The Cambridge Spies » p7 language used by the protesters, centred around the buzzword ‘solidarity’, was reminiscent of the Communist era and felt Prepare to be scandalised by a alienating to many students. Moreover, advertised leisure activities such as yoga and open-mic poetry, combined with well-boiled serving of hot gossip. frequent sightings of protestors taking a cigarette break or going to Sainsbury’s, undermined the seriousness of the protest in the eyes of many. The University was put in a difficult position, forced to engage with a tricky political situation which it had hoped to avoid, having to devote staff and resources to manage the process, and faced with the opposition of many of its most re- spected senior members who came out in support of the protest. At times it has been petty, at others overly heavy-handed; Comment »p9-11 however, it clearly made some attempts to engage with the protest, and its final response was clear and conciliatory without compromising its academic integrity. It is right not to take legal action against the protesters. The Essay » p9 No-one comes out of this especially well. The protesters endured the ill will of much of the student body, and the Univer- Rob Macfarlane denounces the sity was seen as lofty and conservative. Yet the conclusion to the affair is surely satisfactory to most of us, and the political debate engendered by the events is surely a good thing. The occupation marked an intriguing chapter in the 800 year history environmental impact of Land Rover. of this institution. A stand for freedom or a farce? » p10 Submit your letter for the chance to win a bottle of wine from the Cambridge Wine Merchants. Was the occupation a noble way of [email protected] All letters may be edited for space and style. supporting the disadvantaged, or a disingenuous attempt at self-promotion? A culture of over-achievement worth challenging by reassessing what Solidarity... we put our true values in. In this world, Dear Sirs, success is measured by the material; Sirs, must this necessarily be the case? Your Varsity 100 feature [Issue 687, Jan- As an uninvolved third party, I would like Magazine »p13-28 uary 23rd] shows the remarkable wealth Yours faithfully, to express dismay and embarrassment of talent and activity that so many at the way the University has treated the Creative Writing » p15 Cambridge students exhibit, and is quite Dave Kinna student protestors. Whatever one’s views A chance to win two tickets to the ADC main show. the testament to the achievements of Emmanuel College on events in Gaza, and whatever one feels those selected. However, I ask whether about how the protesters have expressed Mistaken identity their demands, these students are brave Graphic design » p20 people with good intentions. Their ac- A look into the seldom-seen world of Dear Sirs, tions are borne out of selflessness and designing often-seen posters. involve no little physical and emotional Your article on the Cambridge Univer- discomfort. They do not deserve the it is worth momentarily questioning the sity Conservative Association [Issue 687, vitriol and lazy cynicism levelled at them. Laurence Shorter » p23 culture that creates such a list. In no way January 23rd] appears to have been, er, The new prophet of optimism tells us to am I attempting to disregard or dimin- made up. Perhaps your correspondent Yours faithfully, keep our heads up and spirits high. ish any of those people’s activities but in wasn’t at the party, for no one wore a the light of last term’s plagiarism feature monocle, least of all the Earl of Onslow, Patrick Kingsley and the continued debate on nine-week who doesn’t wear spectacles and wasn’t Emmanuel College terms, it really does appear that stress there. Lord Onslow did visit CUCA Sport »p29-32 (in all its forms and expressions) is a earlier in Michaelmas term, but far from ...or solid hilarity? major issue that the University body as a declaring that the country should be run The transfer window » p30 whole needs to contend with.