After Board of Governors Rally, Carleton One Step Closer to Divestment

Civil disodedience against the aparthaid state of Israel in Ottawa

by SAIA - Carleton University (Ottawa)

Samouni family survivors at the beach, Gaza, April 8, 2011.

OTTAWA - April 9th, 2011

After building support from 25 student clubs, academic workers’ unions, and university service centres, and receiving signatures from over 2000 students, Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA) and hundreds of allies asserted their right to be heard by the Carleton University Board of Governors (BoG). Despite extreme measures taken by the university’s administration to prevent divestment-supporters from attending a March 29 BoG meeting, which is normally open to the public, a clear message was sent: we don't want our tuition dollars invested in war crimes!

After exhausting every bureaucratic avenue to have SAIA’s divestment campaign put on the BoG’s agenda, students, faculty, and staff protested this attempt at silencing through chants, dance, and peaceful resistance. The BoG meeting was cancelled after several members could not make it through the crowd of highly mobilized and energetic protesters.
A short video documentary of the rally can be viewed here:

Carleton Board of Governors Shutdown - 29 March 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PGgmXvVQI8&feature=channel_video_title

To view SAIA’s full statement on the BoG rally:
http://carleton.saia.ca/pension-divestment-campaign/86.html

To view some notable media coverage of the rally:
Video: CBC Late Night: http://vimeo.com/21737739
Video: The Ottawa Sun: http://vimeo.com/21735300

Radio: CHUO’s The Train:
http://trainradio.blogspot.com/2011/03/students-against-israeli-aparthei...

The Ottawa Citizen:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/business/Carleton+administration+considers+...

The Charlatan:
http://www.charlatan.ca/content/board-governors-meeting-postponed-after-...