The third motion of the AGM, “Protect our freedom to express solidarity with Palestine”, comes amid the active turmoil that exists between some students and Cardiff University itself. In June of this year, seven students who attend the university were arrested in Cardiff for pro-Palestine activism. All seven were suspended from the university as a result. Many viewed this as an injustice, leading Luke Palin to table this motion.
This motion also follows on from last year’s AGM. Here, the motion “Ceasefire Now” was passed. The purpose of the motion was to have the SU publicly call for an immediate ceasefire and for the SU to lobby Cardiff University to do the same. Within the same motion, the SU was called upon to provide material support for students who have, and currently are, being affected by the war. Educational resources were also to be supplied by the SU as a result.
Palin’s motion, as its title suggests, was to allow students within Cardiff University to speak freely about their solidarity with Palestine—without fear of suspension, or worse. The students speaking on behalf of the motion stated that they were “appalled that communications [by the SU and university, relating to the war] haven’t increased” and that “suppressing student action in the name of peace, isn’t peace at all”. While summarising the motion, Palin added that “we must vote for this motion in order to protect freedom of expression on campus”. Putting the motion forward to a vote, it passed almost unanimously, with only three voting against.
The resolution of this motion includes five actions to be undertaken by the SU. Firstly, they have promised to “publicly express solidarity with universities in Palestine that have been destroyed by Israel”. Secondly, “to publicly express solidarity with students at Cardiff, in the UK and around the world who are exercising their right to peacefully protest”. Next, “to publicly condemn and resist punitive measures against pro-Palestine student activists enacted by Cardiff University and other external bodies”.
The fourth and fifth resolutions relate exclusively to Cardiff University itself. The SU is aiming “to lobby the university to request provision of legal guidance to support and empower students to take part in peaceful activism in solidarity with Palestine”. Within the fifth resolution, the SU has guaranteed that they will write to the university’s executive board for a public statement. The motion’s goal is to get a statement from the university, declaring a commitment to protecting students’ rights to express solidarity without fear of repercussions (for example, arrest, harassment, or defamation) and that they will not work with police to punish students who protest.
