Activists at the University of Rochester NY have brought to our attention the level of hatred being expressed by the pro-Israel elements. These students, if indeed they were students, have turned nasty (nastier) after losing the argument on campus. That someone can think nothing of proclaiming 'No Gaza' shows where blind de-humanising hate can lead. The unrelenting pro-Israeli propaganda pumped out in the US media that rarely tells the Palestinian side of the story leads to this level of hatred. It is hate-mongering and intimidation - the sort of thing Muslim and Arab-hating Melanie Phillips should be aware of, if not concerned about. And it is the kind of anti-Muslim/anti-Palestinian fear and prejudice that the Dutch racist MP Geert Wilders wants to try and assist in the development of in this country, as well as his own. He's wasting his time as we have quite enough Islamophobes and racists doing the job already - sometimes they call it 'free speech' when of cours...

From Socialist Worker (US) Rochester's show of solidarity with Gaza Kyle Brown reports from a campus occupation at the University of Rochester. STUDENTS AT the University of Rochester (UR) and their supporters from the community occupied a campus building February 6 in solidarity with the victims of Israel's siege of Gaza--and in a matter of half a day declared victory after winning important concessions from the administration... ...Members of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) took the lead in raising the issue. Leading up to the occupation, the group submitted an op-ed article in the campus newspaper and issued a letter to the administration, which called for UR to divest from corporations that manufacture weapons and profit from the siege of Gaza, and to provide direct support for the people of Gaza... ...Burns met again with the occupiers' representatives shortly before midnight, and agreed to each of the demands. When he left, the group voted overwhelmingly to ac...

From The Stitch blog The occupation of the University of Rochester ended after 9 hours. The university agreed to a number of statements that we could hold them accountable for and build on to continue this movement of boycott and divestment. Most importantly, we got them to agree to help organize with their own resources a public forum to expose their investments. Below are the statements that Dean Burns signed last night. 1. Divestment. That Dean Burns help organize a public forum with the U of R investors, SDS and the community on U of R investment policy, and U of R investment in Israel. 2. Humanitarian Aid. That U of R commit resources and provide any needed information for a campus-wide funddrive for Palestine. 3. Academic Aid. That U of R assess needs in Gaza and donate surplus supplies to universities such as computers, books...etc. 4. Scholarships. That U of R commit to providing international student scholarships to Palestinians. We are proud of what we did and the support fr...

Apparently the demands have already been met by the University - more when we get it. Rochester, NY - 02/06/09-- Students from the University of Rochester and members of the local Rochester community will be occupying an academic building on campus today for peace and in solidarity with the people Gaza and in opposition to U.S. support for the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories and the recent atrocities in Gaza. The action, organized by U of R Students for a Democratic Society (UR-SDS), will begin on the afternoon of Friday, February 6 and will last until the University of Rochester administration meets the demands put forward. Community members are asked to arrive no earlier than 3pm. The demands are: 1. Divestment: We demand the University of Rochester to adopt the "UR-Peaceful Investing Initiative" which institutes a peaceful investment policy to the university's endowment which includes divestment from corporations that manufacturer weapons and profit f...

An opinion piece from Campus Times - the university newspaper The U.S. assault on Palestinian peace and democracy by Ryan Acuff, Students for a Democratic Society The United States supports the occupation by giving Israel, a swath of land the size of New Jersey, more political, military and economic support than any other country in the world ($2.5 billion a year in direct handouts, according to Congress). The United States clearly has the leverage to end the occupation and the power to completely transform the Israel-Palestine conflict peacefully. more

more soon