Skip Navigation | HOME | UK Indymedia | Editorial Guidelines | Mission Statement | About Us | Contact | Help | Support Us

manchester Indymedia

Manchester Students remember Ken Saro-Wiwa in University Shell protest

Manchester Campaigns Collective | 24.11.2008 19:14 | Climate Chaos | Education

Students from the University of Manchester held a memorial protest in remembrance of Nigerian human rights activists who were killed by the Nigerian military in 1995. The protest highlighted the new partnership to research biofuels between the University of Manchester and Shell.

STUDENTS HANG MEMORIAL EFFIGY IN UNIVERSITY SHELL PROTEST

Monday 10th November 2008

Students from the University of Manchester held a memorial protest in remembrance of a Nigerian human rights activist who were killed by the Nigerian military in 1995. November 10th marked the 13th anniversary of the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other activists.[1]

Shell oil company will be taken to court this February 2009, charged with complicity in his murder. ( http://www.unpo.org/content/view/8792/236/)

The protest highlighted the new partnership between the University of Manchester and Shell. [2] (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/business/s/1068530_shell_and_manchester_universitys_biofuels_project)

The group held banners reading 'Remember Ken Saro-Wiwa murdered on behalf of Shell on 13th of November 1995' and 'Shell operating at the University of Manchester' outside the Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocentre. They also displayed an effigy of Ken Saro-Wiwa as a powerful reminder of the execution of the environmental and human rights activist.

Philosophy student Gabriel Hassan said, "Until Shell sort out their human rights record and stop devastating the environment with their oil projects they have no business being on campus. Ken Saro-Wiwa was a man who stood up to the ruin brought upon his people in Nigeria by Shell and for that Shell had him hung. This is the kind of the thing that the university was always going to turn a blind eye to though."

The group asked if someone from the Institution could explain the ethical problems concerning the University’s partnership with Shell but were told to speak to the University’s press office. The press office suggested writing a letter to President and Vice-Chancellor Alan Gilbert. The group will deliver an open letter to the Vice-Chancellor asking for an explanation.

Security were called and removed the banners from the University building wall. Some students remained to flyer outside. Meanwhile another group retrieved the banner and displayed them high up on a lamppost on the other side of the building on Princess Street.

The student group held a discussion on the role of Shell in the Niger Delta and Rossport later that evening attended by around 100 people.

(  http://www.corribsos.com/)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTES TO THE EDITOR

[1] Ken Saro-Wiwa was a leader in the protest against the devastation of the Ogoni people's homeland in Nigeria caused by oil extraction projects run by Shell and Chevron. For more information about Ken Saro-Wiwa and the circumstances of his execution visit  http://www.remembersarowiwa.com/

[2] Shell is one of 17 companies working with The Centre of Excellence in Biocatalysis, Biotransformations and Biocatalytic Manufacture (CoEBio3) based at The University of Manchester. See  http://www.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/news/archive/list/item/?id=3983&year=2008&month=09 and  http://www.student-direct.co.uk/2008/10/shelling-out/ for more information.

Manchester Campaigns Collective
- e-mail: mcrcampaignscollective@gmail.com

Download this article in pdf format >>

Email this article to someone >>

Submit an addition or make a quick comment on this article >>

Comments

Hide the following 2 comments

Correction

28.11.2008 00:21


Excellent to hear news of this protest, however KSW and eight others were hanged on the tenth, not the thirteenth, of November '95.

pedant


Where?

10.12.2008 15:14

Where exactly in Manchester did you hold your protest? What efforts did you make to inform other people of this protest so they as many as possible could attend? Where did you hold your discussions afterwards? none of this is clear from your post.


it would help if in future, you could pass on this kind of info BEFORE the demonstrations so that others can attend.


no group is radical in isolation.

James Taylor


Publish

Publish your news

Do you need help with publishing?

Kollektives

Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World

Other UK IMCs
Bristol/South West
London
Northern Indymedia
Scotland

Manchester Topics

Analysis
Animal Liberation
Anti-militarism
Anti-racism
Bio-technology
Climate Chaos
Culture
Ecology
Education
Energy Crisis
Free Spaces
Gender
Globalisation
Health
History
Indymedia
Iraq
Migration
Ocean Defence
Other Press
Palestine
Public sector cuts
Repression
Social Struggles
Technology
Terror War
Workers' Movements
Zapatista

Manchester Actions 2010

Flotilla to Gaza
Mayday 2010
Tar Sands

Manchester Actions 2009

COP15 Climate Summit 2009
G20 London Summit
Guantánamo
Indymedia Server Seizure
University Occupations for Gaza

Manchester Actions 2008

2008 Days Of Action For Autonomous Spaces
Campaign against Carmel-Agrexco
Climate Camp 2008
G8 Japan 2008
SHAC
Smash EDO
Stop Sequani Animal Testing
Stop the BNP's Red White and Blue festival

Manchester Actions 2007

Climate Camp 2007
DSEi 2007
G8 Germany 2007
Mayday 2007
No Border Camp 2007

Manchester Actions 2006

April 2006 No Borders Days of Action
Art and Activism Caravan 2006
Climate Camp 2006
Faslane
French CPE uprising 2006
G8 Russia 2006
Lebanon War 2006
March 18 Anti War Protest
Mayday 2006
Oaxaca Uprising
Refugee Week 2006
Rossport Solidarity
SOCPA
Transnational Day of Action Against Migration Controls
WSF 2006

Manchester Actions 2005

DSEi 2005
G8 2005
WTO Hong Kong 2005

Manchester Actions 2004

European Social Forum
FBI Server Seizure
May Day 2004
Venezuela

Manchester Actions 2003

Bush 2003
DSEi 2003
Evian G8
May Day 2003
No War F15
Saloniki Prisoner Support
Thessaloniki EU
WSIS 2003

Languages

english

IMCs


www.indymedia.org

Projects
print
radio
satellite tv
video

Africa

Europe
antwerpen
armenia
athens
austria
barcelona
belarus
belgium
belgrade
brussels
bulgaria
calabria
croatia
cyprus
emilia-romagna
estrecho / madiaq
galiza
germany
grenoble
hungary
ireland
istanbul
italy
la plana
liege
liguria
lille
linksunten
lombardia
madrid
malta
marseille
nantes
napoli
netherlands
northern england
nottingham imc
paris/île-de-france
patras
piemonte
poland
portugal
roma
romania
russia
sardegna
scotland
sverige
switzerland
torun
toscana
ukraine
united kingdom
valencia

Latin America
argentina
bolivia
chiapas
chile
chile sur
cmi brasil
cmi sucre
colombia
ecuador
mexico
peru
puerto rico
qollasuyu
rosario
santiago
tijuana
uruguay
valparaiso
venezuela

Oceania
aotearoa
brisbane
burma
darwin
jakarta
manila
melbourne
perth
qc
sydney

South Asia
india


United States
arizona
arkansas
asheville
atlanta
Austin
binghamton
boston
buffalo
chicago
cleveland
colorado
columbus
dc
hawaii
houston
hudson mohawk
kansas city
la
madison
maine
miami
michigan
milwaukee
minneapolis/st. paul
new hampshire
new jersey
new mexico
new orleans
north carolina
north texas
nyc
oklahoma
philadelphia
pittsburgh
portland
richmond
rochester
rogue valley
saint louis
san diego
san francisco
san francisco bay area
santa barbara
santa cruz, ca
sarasota
seattle
tampa bay
united states
urbana-champaign
vermont
western mass
worcester

West Asia
Armenia
Beirut
Israel
Palestine

Topics
biotech

Process
fbi/legal updates
mailing lists
process & imc docs
tech