St Salvator’s Quad Rally

We had a great rally in St Salvator’s Quad today! Over a hundred people came to show their support. There were four main speakers:      

 

Pete Cannell from Stop the War Coalition spoke about the extremely successful  Glasgow conference yesterday. He saw the recent student occupations across Scotland as marking a “sea change” in activism and awareness. Occupations like those currently being held in St Andrews. He spoke of the hypocrisy of shutting down only the arms routes to Hamas whilst the UK, and particularly the arms industries in Fife were open to trade hi-tech weapon parts which are used against Palestinians.

 

Sarah Glynn from Scottish Jews for a Just Peace said ‘the Israeli government presents itself as a saviour and protector of the Jewish people and expects people like me in our gratitude to protect it from criticism. Well, I’m not grateful—I’m angry…Israeli foreign policy is dictated by the US imperial project…Israel is used to control the spread of an a secular Arab nationalism’. In support of our occupation she said ‘it is really uplifting to see the growing movement in support of Palestine’.  Speaking of embargoes, she said. ‘We hope to impact the Israeli economy and at the same time we are helping to send a message that the Israeli’s actions are not acceptable’. She also highlighted that we should continue to be critical also of Hamas and that ‘criticism of Hamas does not imply that Israel’s actions are any more acceptable’.

 

‘We are campaigning not just for peace, but justice—for liberty, equality and fraternity’

 

Richard Haley from Scotland against Criminalising Communities said ironically, ‘campaigning for many years against the occupation, it is rare that I can say this long live the occupation!’ (in reference to our occupation of Lower College Hall). He spoke of the emerging student movement and its role in ensuring discussion continues, that the spreading mood becomes something concrete. 

 

Margaret Pacetta gave a very heartfelt talk on her direct experience in Palestine as part of the Glasgow-Palestine Human Rights Campaign, and the International Solidarity Movement. She told stories of Palestinian children being shot in cold blood, the increasingly dire situation in the West Bank ‘It is hell…it will become the new Gaza.’ ‘There have been 104 more checkpoints since Tony Blair has become Peace Envoy to the Middle East.’ She lauded the courageous work of the International Solidarity Movement and Israelis Against the Wall, encouraging all interested to volunteer in their work. Her experiences in the West Bank have made her determined to never stop campaigning for Human Rights stating that “anything to humiliate they will do” but “they will never stop us…for what is happening is not a war but a massacre”. She called upon all young people to get involved in these movements.

 

Thank you to everyone who came, check out the photos.