Management Meeting Updates
Following our first meeting with management on the 6th June 2024, and a commitment to an extended 3 hour preliminary meeting to discuss in depth the demands of Divestment, Boycott and Pledging to rebuild the educational sector with scholarships to Palestinian students…
We were disappointed by the management’s decision to offer us a 2-hour meeting on Eid, which we were unable to make. They then offered a 1 hour meeting today, which we accepted, based on the urgency of the situation. However, one hour was insufficient to discuss the plethora of evidence of Killer’s College London’s complicity in genocide.
Concerningly, in between these two meetings, on 11th June 2024, the university neglected their commitment to safeguard and protect their students, when both security and staff initiated aggression against a group of protesters. Students were physically assaulted, verbally abused and left with physical injuries.
The meeting today was attended by members of management, representatives of the encampment, representatives of KCL Palestine Action and representatives from the UCU, and a student alumna.
Boycott: Management presented a confidential list of academic ties, with links to Israeli universities. However, this list was evidently not comprehensive, as several ongoing projects and ties were not included, which we raised with management - EG) ARK and Pan3DP.
Pro-Palestinian representative came prepared and presented evidence for institutional links with apartheid, and precedent of academic boycotts in the past by KCL, highlighting their hypocrisy. The management continued to side step the issue - relying on technicalities and didn’t give a commitment to boycott institutions integrally involved in apartheid, occupation and genocide.
Safeguard: Management failed to address the significant safeguarding and security concerns, in particular from the incidents on 11th June 2024, but did confirm that no PREVENT referrals have been made against the students thus far.
Due to the limited time given to us by management, we were unable to address our main demands of divestment and the demand to pledge to rebuild Gaza’s education sector.
Current outcomes:
1) We sought disclosures on investments and institutional ties and their relevant policies.
2) Three separate meetings with relevant management committee members on divest, pledge and boycott before a formal meeting is scheduled with Vice Chancellor Shitij Kapour.
We are committed to holding our university accountable and will not rest, until our demands are met. Join the movement, strengthen our numbers, and LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!
