For the second time in as many weeks Sussex university students have demonstrated their determination to drive the University Royal Navy Unit (royal navy recruitment organisation on uni campuses) into the sea.
A group of loud and angry students descended upon the mess hall of the URNU in the mantel building, boiler house hill, sussex university. 20 students arrived just as their open meeting recruitment session was due to begin chanting 'no more war' and carrying a banner which read "if recruiters told you the truth you wouldn't want to join". The group proceeded to make an almighty racket for the next hour, visibly disrupting the meeting as Royal Navy officers and security were sent to protect the sanctity of their meeting.
Eventually three car loads of police turned up to 'protect' the demonstration from any over-frisky sailors. The police were obviously singling out certain members of the group for identification...perhaps still baffled as to who the clowns were that attacked the URNU stall last week. Some members of the group were even probed by the police for information about the upcoming SMASH EDO demonstration on October 15th. No arrests occured.
This time last year, a group of students succesfully stormed their recruitment meeting leading to being physically ejected by the police and violent officers from the navy. This year they seem much more jumpy and scared of our presence; they even resorted to filming us to gather evidence.
KICK THE MILITARY OFF CAMPUS!! END IMPERIALIST WARS!!
Eventually three car loads of police turned up to 'protect' the demonstration from any over-frisky sailors. The police were obviously singling out certain members of the group for identification...perhaps still baffled as to who the clowns were that attacked the URNU stall last week. Some members of the group were even probed by the police for information about the upcoming SMASH EDO demonstration on October 15th. No arrests occured.
This time last year, a group of students succesfully stormed their recruitment meeting leading to being physically ejected by the police and violent officers from the navy. This year they seem much more jumpy and scared of our presence; they even resorted to filming us to gather evidence.
KICK THE MILITARY OFF CAMPUS!! END IMPERIALIST WARS!!
Comments
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Awesome!!!
08.10.2008 08:13
Sussex student
Credit us with some intelligence please
08.10.2008 09:39
I had a great time and learned a lot about the workings of the armed forces. The same opportunity is available to you. And if you intend to oppose the armed forces, why not take the opportunity to learn something about them first?
Mike
I like the idea of anti-war activists doing military training.
08.10.2008 10:08
Keep em on the ground!
To Mike
08.10.2008 10:13
I suspect I've learned more than you first hand (at Sandhurst, and then in the Tank Regiment), but that isn't a criterion for opposing - and disrupting - recruitment on campus, especially with two imperialists wars in progress as we speak.
Bravo the Sussex students!
(Don't get me wrong though, I'm all in favour of conscious communists joing the armed forces in order to get military training!)
squatticus
The problem with joining the armed forces
08.10.2008 10:20
Mike
Mike's last post is correct
08.10.2008 10:52
The TA does actually have a risk of being called up you see.
Anyway, i know a fair few commies who took the training on offer - and *also* disrupted recruitment at large. Just cos reds might get to learn combat training isn't really a good enough reson not to kick the military of campuses.
bill stickers
Brilliant!
08.10.2008 23:08
Kick 'em off campus
excellent
13.10.2008 01:09
ex-student
Bad Target
06.12.2008 20:51
Imperialist wars are, surely, the product of an empire, or at least a government, or Government. So why is a protest, against the various wars going on at the moment, directed at the Navy? Shouldn't the angst ridden students be outside Parliament protesting, or Downing Street?
It is worrying to see that, denying freedom of speech, banning things you don't like, has become the norm on many a university campus. Far from encouraging thought and freedom, there appears to be a fear of it; what will it be, banning or burning books next? Is there sufficient freedom for a dissenting voice to be posted - I doubt it.
I do not disagree that "War is Hell", it is terrible; how many of the protesters went back to their rooms to play on their PS3/X-box/Wii a game that involved killing zombies, germans, pedestrians, prostitutes? Do not protest that which in private you glorify or take dubious pleasure in.
Anyway, enough questions. There are a couple of nice pubs near Trafalgar Sq, have a drink. Then whilst walking down Whitehall, towards the protest, maybe take a moment passing the Cenotaph: just to remember the reason you can protest, then protest to the right people.
Iona
e-mail:
iona.ragu@mac.com