Defend Artem: suspended for campaigning against military recruitment

To:  Newcastle College

On Friday the 12th Sept Newcastle College invited onto campus the army in order to do a presentation to recruit students with the promise of financial assistance for college and University fees. This time last year the Students’ Union passed a policy against Army recruitment on campus and banned the Army from the fresher’s fair.

Last Friday an emergency protest was organised by students at Newcastle College. Artem and other students went into the presentation to ask simply ‘How many of our students would be killed’? for this he was threatened with security and in the end left of his free will.

The following Monday Artem was told by phone that he was being suspended for a week pending an investigation and a disciplinary hearing on the 22nd Sept.

No other student involved in the protest is being punished for the same activities that Artem carried out. This is simply a way to spread fear and intimidation in order to paralyse any student activism, democracy or accountability.

Those of us who wish to defend our rights to speak out, to vote, to stand in elections or to organise on campus as activists should have the right to do so. Democracy and human rights are not something that you leave at the doorstep of the college but something that you carry with you everywhere you go.

Defend democracy, defend our right to speak out, defend Artem Liebenthal!

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Defend Artem: suspended for campaigning against military recruitment Petition to Newcastle College was created by and written by Stewart Halforty (shalforty@hotmail.com).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.