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Birmingham students launch underground press

John Preece | 26.01.2006 12:09 | Culture | Education | Social Struggles | Birmingham

Students at the University of Birmingham have launched an alternative newspaper in response to recent expulsions at Matthew Boulton College and censorship of the existing newspaper.

Free Press
Free Press


Two students at Matthew Boulton College in Birmingham were expelled this month (see reports from NUS Online and UCE Union of Students) for distributing a short newsletter critical of ttheir university. Inspired by both this and an alternative press workshop at Shared Planet 2005, a group of students at the University of Birmingham started their own newsletter - The Radish.

The official student newspaper at Birmingham is Redbrick, on the go since 1936. However, all copy has to be approved by the Guild of Students and in recent months the censorship has been taken to extremes. No criticism of the Guild or University is allowed, and quotes have been altered. The Radish will feature side-by-side comparisons of censored and uncensored articles in one of the next two issues. A direct quote from a Guild staff member is: "Free speech is OK, if it is approved by us."

The Radish is a printed extension of an unofficial message board (at  http://www.createphpbb.com/radish/). The official Guild message boards were closed down after complaints about censoring of online posts. All Radish issues are made available to download in PDF format.

We are currently seeking sustainable printers and advertisers, as (predictably) the Guild of Students will not allow us to use their facilities or apply for funding. Any information on sustainable paper suppliers, ethical (news)printers or potential advertisers in the Birmingham area will be gratefully received! We're moving up to an eight-page (two double-sided A3) issue with an initial distribution of 1000.

John Preece
- e-mail: ub_radish@yahoo.co.uk
- Homepage: http://www.createphpbb.com/radish/

Additions

new web address

13.02.2006 03:10

Theres a new website address: www.theradish.org.uk. Some good discussion been had!

Now into an 8 page issue, every 2 weeks.
Gig to raise funds on Sat 18th Feb, The Vale, Shakleton Bar.
Cracked actors, and some student bands as well.

greend
- Homepage: http://www.theradish.org.uk


Comments

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Good luck

26.01.2006 17:08

I graduated from Brum last year, and I remember there being loads of issues with Redbrick for the past couple of years. I have to say if I was at the Uni and I heard a Guild Staff member saying freedom of speech is ok but only if it's cleared by them, I'd have done everything in my power to have them and their censorship removed.

So good luck to the Radish!

PS. Any chance you can publish online too so interested Alumni can see?

Duncan
mail e-mail: duncan.frostick@gmail.com


Hasbara Zionists Bully Guild of Students into Submission

26.01.2006 18:54

Good luck too people :)

Please keep us updated on Brum Indymedia.

I feel it's also worth pointing out how much the Guild of Students at Birmingham University attempted to stop Palestinian Students organising together to form their own student society a couple of years ago. Hasbara Zionists and morally bankrupt Guild executives claimed the formation of a Palestinian Society: "would attract racists to the Guild".

A racist Guild Executive also censored the Palestinian Society and the University's Bust the War Society. Their arbitrary attempts at censorship are still evident if you take a look at Birmingham University's Palestinian Society website here:

 http://students.bugs.bham.ac.uk/palestinian/main_intro.htm

I understand the Palestinian Society and Islamic Society were taking legal action against the University and it's Guild of Students following a litany of unaddressed grievances including the charge of 'institutionalised racism'.

Can anyone update us with this legal challenge?

Sue their asses!


Our Struggles against the Guild

26.01.2006 19:02

Running the Palestinian Society at the University of Birmingham has been a constant struggle.

1) Initially we were denied the right to set up Palestinian Society by the guild executive for the following reasons: (quoted from Guild Exec minutes)

* Palestinian Society would create a forum for racism
* Palestinian Society would jeopardise the safety of the university
* Palestinian Society would provide a platform for extreme political groups

There were 5 votes in favour of banning us, 1 against, 2 abstentions.

2) The guild executive tried to obstruct our first event. By way of explanation, Jenny Lennox, the ever wise VP for Internal affairs said "I am not racist, but prejudiced.."

3) Every poster we have put up to advertise the society has been torn down, often with the approval of the impartial Exec.

4) Our members have been constantly harrassed by zionist activists in various ways:

* Blocking stalls
* Taking duplicate leaflets to prevent wide distribution. (We have recently been forced to introduce a charge for multiple leaflet requests to cover our costs)
* Resorting to bad language when experiencing a bout of cognitive dissonance.
* Non-exec-zionists obsessively complaining about our activities to the exec.

5) Pro-Sharon media outfits like the Jewish Chronicle have published articles to smear our reputation and to confuse the issue.

6) A warning by the Guild President not to use the word Palestine because this may imply taking a side in the Israel-Palestine dispute.

7) Repeated complaints about this harmless website have resulted in removal of pages and pictures by the Exec.

8) We will soon publish the voluminous hate-mail we have been receiving on this website.



back

cut 'n paste from Palestinian Society website
- Homepage: http://students.bugs.bham.ac.uk/palestinian/struggles.htm


Hidden Comment

This posting has been hidden because it breaches the Indymedia UK (IMC UK) Editorial Guidelines.

IMC UK is an interactive site offering inclusive participation. All postings to the open publishing newswire are the responsibility of the individual authors and not of IMC UK. Although IMC UK volunteers attempt to ensure accuracy of the newswire, they take no responsibility legal or otherwise for the contents of the open publishing site. Mention of external web sites or services is for information purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation.

How the servants of Blair operate

27.01.2006 14:52

The zionist created project of communism responsible for the USSR has completed today with the vast majority of assets from those lands in the hands of members of the 'tribe'. The recent history of Russia demonstates a clear blueprint of operation and intent.

Zionists control many UK universities by the simple mechanism of infiltration. They dedicate themselves to a task (with funds provided specifically for this goal), and assume control by default, because of the apathy of 'normal' students.

Their methods of 'political' operation are created for them in every detail by senior zionists within the mainstream of British media, politics and business. The self-same Black Propaganda organisations that created the LIE of Iraqis throwing Kuwaiti babies out of incubators are available daily to advise British University zionists on state-of-the-art propaganda methods.

The purpose of this is NOT to eliminate anti-zionists groups, but to encourage them to terminally weaken themselves with self-censorship. This final point is ALWAYS missed. The zionists WANT their enemies to feel a sense of victory when they publish weak and ineffective material.

How many people have seen African children, women, and men with their hands cut off? I'm willing to bet the answer is near zero. How many people have seen aftermath pictures from the 'liberation' of Nazi 'death' camps. I'm willing to bet the answer is near 100%. Both sets of images are horrific. HOWEVER, only one set is relevant today, because TODAY there is NO German Nazi threat, but Israelis and Europeans are still causing the most disgusting and depraved crimes in Africa.

My point is this. He who controls the message controls the world. It is bullsh*t to claim that the most important messages will naturally 'speak' the loudest. The zionists work to silence every other opposing voice, and to ensure everone hears theirs. Because they are small in number, their best strategy is to 'persuade' others with a more just cause than theirs (which is just about everyone) to willingly silence themselves.

If the population of the world was familiar with the crimes committed during the creation and existence of Israel, there wouldn't be an Israel today. This is a simple fact. Zionists work constantly to ensure that human morality is never applied to their land, their power, or themselves. They achieve this using the age-old method of every evil ideology, that is by constantly shouting "there's a witch, burn her".

While people like Mandelson, Straw, Goldsmith, and their equivalents in France, Germany, America etc., are still in power, their will be no justice, peace, or safety in the world. This corrupt, wicked, and self-serving tribal group make it possible for a monster like Blair to take power. They do not dare visibly rule themselves, for the tiny size of the tribe makes it vunerable to destruction. Instead, they need to 'serve' publically visible leaders from 'outside' their tribe- but leaders whose every action is designed to benefit them. Master and servant, both thinking themselves the 'true' master.

twilight


Hidden Comment

This posting has been hidden because it breaches the Indymedia UK (IMC UK) Editorial Guidelines.

IMC UK is an interactive site offering inclusive participation. All postings to the open publishing newswire are the responsibility of the individual authors and not of IMC UK. Although IMC UK volunteers attempt to ensure accuracy of the newswire, they take no responsibility legal or otherwise for the contents of the open publishing site. Mention of external web sites or services is for information purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation.

bollocks

27.01.2006 17:39

The post by twilight is a load of anti-semitic bollocks! It should be taken off this sote - it's exactly the kind of ammunition that the real Zionists (not the make-believe ones that set up the Soviet Union - that was the working class ya dunderhead) need to keep banning palestinian societies!!!

Andy N


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