The Palestinian Solidarity Society today disrupted a lecture by Solon Solomon, former member of the Israeli Parliament’s legal department, on Israel’s right to self-defence. Entering the lecture, members of the society heckled the lecturer forcing it to be brought to a close after seven minutes. Members of the panel had to be removed from the room by security in the interests of their own safety to calls of “Cheerio, cheerio, cheerio.” The PSS was apparently videoing the lecture without permission.
BY BEN FINCH
There followed a heated discussion between members of the society and Sally Wheeler, head of the School of Law, who invited Solomon to speak. Much of this discussion centred around the legality of the Gaza Wall, but Wheeler pointed out that there was an opportunity for discussion with Solomon after the lecture when a civilised debate could take place. Wheeler left the room visibly upset.
As the PSS left the seminar room, members congregated around the security presence blocking entrance to the room where delegates were staying. They were asked to leave and told that “bullying” wouldn’t work. Security then threatened to call the police. The PSS accused the security team of “intimidation” and supporting fascism in Israel. There followed a debate on international law and freedom of information, carried out entirely by the PSS with security taking no part.
We have been told that disciplinary proceedings are a matter for the University authorities. Offences of misconduct include criminal damage, nuisance behaviour and disorderly behaviour. If an individual is found to have carried out an offence it could result in a £150 fine or expulsion from the University. There is no information yet on whether this matter has been passed to the University
Attempting to continue the protest the PSS tried to find a back way around security, but were unable to so and gathered outside. There was a rush to block Solomon’s taxi, which involved students punching the car and trying to stop it, before security managed to force the protesters back far enough to clear a route. One protester had their foot run over.
Following the protest, Gary Spedding, President of the PSS, said “I didn’t sanction anyone to hit the taxi, I didn’t sanction anyone to stop the taxi, my society doesn’t condone violence.” He also said that he didn’t necessarily disagree with it at the same time. “I wanted to take the society along to listen to what he had to say. What he’s saying is not that complicated, he uses the legal standpoint that self-defence supersedes the Geneva Convention.”
Wheeler commented that the PSS may have misunderstood the purpose of Solomon’s visit. He was speaking at a weekly lunchtime academic seminar on the topic of international law. She stated that international law is “steadfastly apolitical” and was “surprised [the visit] caused so much excitement.” Wheeler went on to say, “It’s very sad really, I suppose in twenty-five years as an academic I’ve never seen anyone shouted down after five minutes speaking.” She also pointed out that Solomon openly criticised Israel in the time he was allowed to speak.
Megan Fearon of Ógra Sinn Féin, who was attending the event, pointed out the notable Sinn Féin presence at the protest and said, “It’s a disgrace we invited a war criminal, there was meant to be a debate but they only invited one side.”
Rumor has it that there were Palestinian Meerkats traveling from one zoo to another zoo in a van. The van was being driven by a member of friends of the Israeli Meerkats.
Allegedly a very senior member of the PSS hit the vehicle shouting loudly “Free the Meerkats!!” Injuring 2 Israeli meerkats.
The alleged incident occurred at 2 am in the morning when most of baby meerkats were asleep.
It seems no baby meerkats were injured in the incident.
Can the PSS confirm if a member of their society hit a van about to enter a zoo?
First of all please do not dehumanize this or turn it into some kind of joke because it is not.
If your question is actually based on a serious point i will answer you:
No member of my society except myself was anywhere near the car and i only went onto the road to tell the people on the road not to hit the car or harrass the car.
Gary, I do not think you understand the gravity of the situation. We have live meerkats being persecuted for no other reason other than their nationality.
Do you not consider the plight of the meerkats?
This is against the meerkats’ human rights!!!!!
Outrageous!
Eh. Started off kind of funny but now you’re trying too hard.
Shame.
At the end of the day the outcome of this entire thing really is this:
Solon Solomon prematurely ended his lecture and left Queen’s.
Someone hit his taxi as it left.
I interupted Solon Solomon to ask a valid and ontopic question which i have every right to do.
The Society (QUB PSS) was joined by supporter’s and members of other groups at Queen’s which we share cross over’s from as our society is open to everyone from all backgrounds we do not hold to any individual political or ideologically motivated groups our focus is international law, human rights and justice/freedom for Palestine.
Thing’s got heated due to several factor’s including an unnecessary security presence, lack of proper planning on my part (I need to give a nonviolence lecture and also show some example’s of what i envisioned for such an event) and inflaming from an irate member of the school of law and influence from Northern Ireland Friend’s of Israel. In hindsight i wish i had followed a different plan and had made sure there was clear differentiation between my own society member’s and none members because of the obvious reason’s that member’s of my society are of course the responsibility of the society whilst none members are not. I wish given the size of the lecture room and the number of attendee’s that i had done what a friend of mine did in america where they staged a silent mass walk out of a lecture which given there were so few people in genuine attendance anyways would have perhaps done so much more and in a more effective way. That being said the entire lecture was giving NIFI the opportunity to learn yet more propaganda and justification for Israel’s case as is found in the email they sent out about solon solomon speaking…..
I am not responsible as an individual for any of the accused intimidation which may or may not have occured. I am certainly not responsible for the violence and evidence prove’s i specifically requested no violence (Thank you Gavin).
The society is not responsible as a group for the event’s which occured outside of the lecture/seminar room nor is the society responsible for heckling, intimidating or any of the other thing’s accused.
People can sit and make numerous accusation’s all they like i do not have the time to respond individually to everyone’s baseless accusation’s against me or the society its ridiculous and i think that i have given enough reading material for reader’s to grasp a more fuller view of me as a person and of the society i am president of because of the accusation’s i have so far responded to at this time.
I feel there is no point replying to people claiming anti-semitism, or claiming im a “nice wee dictator” or any of the other silly thing’s being thrown around here nor do i find debating israel/palestine any further here will do anything i have much more pressing matter’s to focus my energy into and i mean at the end of the day the society is a sucess we have 37 people at our film screening of American radical the following day and it was deffinitely not because of the event’s of the previous day it was because the film was interesting and to the point, we had law student’s, politics student’s and members of the public and i would say that as a society we certainly all agree that the main goals of our group/society is to do awareness raising while doing occasional and very specific direct action.
Thing’s can deffinitely be handled better in the future but we are a new society, i am a very passionate individually and im new to leading a society.
At the end of the day i have responded to all point’s made here to the best of my ability I will from now on unless a very specific point or worthy point is made no longer be taking part in debates here.
Thank you.
Can people please stop leaving comments that are longer than my dissertation? I really don’t have the patience to read most of the stuff that’s gone up so far
It’s sad to see supposedly educated students jumping on the anti-Israel bandwagon and engaging in violence over an issue which they know very little about.
Everyone knows that there are issues which need to be addressed regarding Israel/Palestine, but true democrats welcome debate and discussion, rather than attempting to silence the voice of their opponents.
The PSS have really displayed their true colours, they are little more than blinkered busybodies with very little else to do with themselves.
A particular part of this comment has been removed. Thanks, Gown Editor.
Which member of the PSS engaged in violence? A non-member slapped a taxi window – if you want to push that as violence, go for it, but it wasn’t anyone in the Palestine Solidarity Society who done that. There was no violence, I’m not sure why everyone is so hellbent on trying to portray it as such.
And again, these are democrats. One, and only one, member of the society interrupted the speaker to correct his point, pose a question and then continue to let him speak and further question him at the end – a question he was going to answer until the overreaction by the Law school and security ended the lecture. They were not silencing him: no other individual spoke until the speaker was up and out the door. They were going to listen, they were taking down notes to debate him afterwards – one minor interruption is what happened, which was not going to disrupt the entire conference until the overreaction by the school, so I find this whole “not allowing him speak, opponents of free speech” thing a real stretch.
You say that only one member of the society interrupted the speaker in order to correct a point, the article says that several members heckled the speaker until the lecture had to be abandoned after seven minutes. Your claim that “one minor interruption is what happened” is simply untrue. Grown-ups engage in debate, not shouting down anyone who disagrees with them.
Yes, the article is entirely wrong in saying that. I was present – Gary Spedding interrupted the speaker. No other protester present spoke until the speaker had got up and was walking out the door. Even at this point, the didn’t heckle him, they began to argue with the head of the law school, security and other attendees denouncing them for their intolerance (again, despite only Spedding having said anything).
“It’s sad to see supposedly educated students jumping on the anti-Israel bandwagon and engaging in violence over an issue which they know very little about.”
Speaking for myself i can say that I am trained specifically in nonviolence and that i have worked for a very long time in nonviolence. I have lived in Bethlehem in the West Bank of Palestine, i continue to live in Beit Jala in the West Bank of Palestine which i will mention now is a delightful and yet devastating experience. Delightful because of the peace, humanity and kindness of the Palestinian people and the family who have adopted me devastating because every single morning i wake up in my home there i hear the sound of Israeli army vehicle’s, Israeli construction vehicles and i hear the constant drilling and pouding into the mountain side constructing a 30 ft concrete wall to “protect” a Jewish only road that is used by illegal settlers only.
Anti-Israel? i suppose many of my views could be construed as anti-israel but I find that my views are actually neither pro-israeli or pro-palestinian per say but more pro-peace and with that of course comes a pro-palestine element because the fact’s and of course historically, legally and politically it is the Palestinians who are suffering not the Israeli’s.
As far as engaging in something I know very little about, I have every confidence in myself, and the entire society as a matter of fact to now cease speaking only about myself that everyone knows a great deal about this conflict but of course everyone is still learning. I am friends with several academic’s all of whom have different views and fact’s on the issue of Israel/Palestine the topic is simply so vast. But just as it would be completely arrogant and shameful for Myself or the society to claim “We know everything” or “We know the exact truth 100%” i think it is as shameful you claim that a group you have never probably met or engaged in knows nothing or very little…
I would suggest for everyone reading by the way to watch a very fair and decent 4 part series called the promise on 4OD it is a series i have to say depict’s things quite accurately it also shows a great deal of my theology/ideology in it in respect to the fact that we have here two people’s Palestinians and Israeli’s and i think very few people really get this but those two people’s are probably the most similar in terms of historical suffering you can get they have so much in common they have both suffered, they have both suffered because of eachother and outsiders (e.g. Nazi Germany for the Jewish people and Ottomans/British/Israel for the Arab Palestinians). The Promise (not that im going into a lengthy review or anything) accurately depicts just how difficult the situation is away from all the paper work, statistics, politics and law. It also show’s the Power of reconciliation and a theory i call “Healing the Society”. It show’s the troubles and turmoils on both side’s while remaining true to the political, legal and historical factors in that Israel is as it stand’s today the one causing this conflict.
“The PSS have really displayed their true colours, they are little more than blinkered busybodies with very little else to do with themselves.”
Really? is that the best you can come up with?
The promise a great work of fiction
the Anti Israel bandwagon is trendy I am afraid .
This article seems to have a stance very much siding with the Law school, I am unconnected with either the Law school or PSS, but I am interested in the Gown maintaining a fair and unbaised view of events. This is written like a “Sun” article, sort it out Gown!
To be honest the most disturbing thing is the insistence that NIFI invited Mr Solomon , when an Indian speaker says positive things about India is it always linked to the Indian community centre . Think carefully about the implications of this constant reference to NIFI as the body who invited him, out of everything said this is the most dangerous and in fact rooted in deep discrimination
Hughes,
It was my understanding that they were involved with bringing him to Belfast. That was based on someone I believe to tell the truth stating that they had documentation to prove it. If I am wrong on that then I apologise. However, stating that we believe NIFI to be involved in bringing him here hardly amounts to discrimination. The only reason for raising the issue was to highlight an apparent breach of the a-political stance queen’s university claims to take, not to have a go at NIFI.
Getagrip,
you dont actually believe a student newspaper is going to tell the whole truth do you? The reporter is quite evidently trying to boost their profile by writing a piece that elicits debate, they have achieved that at the expense of the truth.
I’m unsure as to whether I should come beneath the line to enter the debate, but I’ve been called ‘tabloid’ and compared to the Sun. These aren’t exactly the most insulting things I’ve ever been called but I would point out that Gary thinks this is a fair article, just perhaps ‘too fair’.
It’s not my reporting that has caused debate, rather the events themselves. As for boosting profile, of course, that’s why I turned up to it, but the story didn’t need sexed up to cause a stir.
Hughe’s
There is no descrimination about the following evidence, also provided on the previous page of comment’s but awaiting approval from the Gown.
Oh dear Paula, let us not beat about the bush! Below is a copy of NIFI’s first circular of 2011 released just after Holocaust Memorial Day:
—–Original Message—–
From: EDITED FOR SECURITY REASONS
To: EDITED FOR SECURITY REASONS
Sent: Sun, 6 Feb 2011 21:55
Subject: Shalom!
Northern Ireland Friends of Israel
Shalom! Welcome to our first circular of 2011.
1. Our events coming up
2. Boycott Israel – never mind your health, everyday tips to Boycott Israel!
3. Cartoons in Conflict – NIFI reception
4. NIFI at Westminster
5. Holocaust Memorial Day in Northern Ireland
6. “Telling it as it is” – Columnist Melanie Phillips speaks her mind!
1. NIFI Events aplenty
Date for your Diary: Please Keep the Evening of Wed 9 March free for a NIFI event in Belfast area – more details to follow shortly!
******************************************************************
On week beginning 21 February, NIFI is holding a briefing by an expert on the legal aspects of Israel’s case. The speaker, Solon Solomon is a former member of the legal office of the Israeli parliament. This will be a small and interactive briefing event and numbers are limited. Please contact us at nifriendsofisrael@ymail.com if you would like more info about this event.
That there is some damn hard evidence that NIFI is involved in Solon Solomon appearing here and at the University. Given that NIFI were present at the lecture it is more that justified to put two and two together. I do not like conspiracy theories of any kind especially those which do not have substantial proof behind them.
However to claim that the accusation is on the same level as conspiracy theories based on the evidence, of which there is MORE as shown below:
From: EDITED AS NOT ALLOWED TO POST EMAILS TO PUBLIC SITE
Date: 21 February 2011 13:43:01 GMT
To: EDITED FOR SECURITY REASONS
Subject: Queens Wednesday 23rd Feb. 1pm
Details are as follows:
Solon Solomon is speaking at Queen’s:
23 February 1 p.m. (Seminar Room 1, Institute of Governance)
“The Middle East International Law Dynamics”
Mr Solon Solomon (Former member of Legal Department, Knesset – Israeli Parliament)
Our next Case for Israel screening is at Coleraine also on 23 Feb, its a bit far for you but please let me know if you would like details.
Kind regards,
ANONYMOUS
Now i wonder i know i have blanked out the email addresses and names because its not allowed to publish personal emails on this blog according to the rules but i just wonder could it be that the FROM email address is NIFI’s Email…..
“The PSS was apparently videoing the lecture without permission.”
JOURNALISM.
Throw some sarcasm quotes in there while you’re at it.
Ben Finch,
Let me say first that I am impressed you have commented, if indeed it is you.
However, you stated that, ‘Gary thinks this is a fair article’ at what point did he say this? One of his earlier quotes actually states, ‘ I am not sure what to make of this article’. Are you saying you reported it absolutely to the facts? You state in your article that, ‘Entering the lecture, members of the society heckled the lecturer’. Firstly, it was only Gary who said anything, he did not heckle, he questioned. Secondly, your article states that members of the panel had to be removed for their own safety. How did you come to that conclusion? No one, not even Gary when making his point, left their seats. There were no threatening remarks or gestures made by anyone in the audience.
Please have the decency in future to write a balanced article, not one that serves only one side.
Haha, don’t worry, it is indeed me. I’ve been speaking to Gary about it over Facebook and in person, which is where that quote comes from.
I am confident that I reported the facts, there was certainly heckling going on and I was told that’s why they were removed. There’s no reportage of people leaving their seats or threatening gestures.
I do feel it’s balanced and there was no intention whatsoever of serving one side. You may disagree, but then you do appear to be biased
Fair enough if you have been speaking to him in person. Indeed you didnt report that there were any threatening gestures or people leaving their seats, but you did state that they were removed for their own safety, I’m intrigued as to how you came to that conclusion?
Firstly, Ben i would like to clarify for everyone that you are indeed telling the truth in that i stated it was a fair article. However it need’s to be said that i believe it is a fair article given the following factors:
A, you were not permitted entry to the seminar room and thus made your report from outside where it was impossible to witness the full event’s.
B, When you state heckling when people entered it is false.
C, My scale of fair here includes the following: a side of the scale which is pro-palestinian, a midpoint which is dead on fair and a point leaning over to the pro-israeli or pro-law school side of thing’s.
D, Using my scale (if anyone else apart from myself is able to decipher it) i would state that Ben on the whole has been very supportive of what i do and what the PSS does in a personal capicity however i believe that in a professional article writing capacity Ben realizing he may be bias decided to deliberately make thing’s fair which is why i say he has been “Too fair” or to make it an exact quote “Trie to be too fair” in that instead of hitting the dead on centre of my hypothetical scale you instead went over to the pro-israeli/pro-law school side of thing’s perhaps untintentionally.
That’s just my take on thing’s of course the other legitimate criticism of the article by Nick i agree with in part but there’s too much criticism flying around here for me to look for every specific detail and state if i agree or disagree!.
Thanks
Down with Downs, the man orchestrated the campaign to get last years sabs out for no reason, hes planned an event every weekend and not even orgainsed one!! sending emails with a colour coded database trying to wip up support to get rid of team lilduf for the no confidence motion, will be glad to see when his “friend” tan beats his ass
First: Wrong topic
Second: What colour coded database?
Third: Are you actually this stupid in real life?
This is not a joke! There are serious questions that have to be answered here. Meerkats, Israeli or Palestinian are entitled to the same protection in law as meerkats around the rest of the world.
Save the Meerkats!
After today’s outburst the Israeli government has taken action against Queen’s university. Israeli Commandos have been dropped into Queen’s SU, Lanyon North and have started an occupation of Jerusalem Street in the Holy lands.
A cat has been declared missing, presumed scared!
Sad, sick and satanic. Clearly Gadaffi is not the only one who is delusional.
Let us all become Christian Friends of Israel and enter into our own dellusional world where we completely ignore the existance of Palestinian Christian’s and completely twist interpretation of the bible to suite our own political and financial goals.
Clearly avigdor lieberman is not the only one who follow’s insane ideologies.
Gary Spedding, what is it that gives you “every right” to interrupt a speaker? Maybe you could have put your own urgent need to comment aside and waited until the time for proper discussion? Someone supposedly trained in nonviolence might want to think about how aggressive it is to interrupt someone else’s speech.
The same right that everyone else has to voice themselves when someone is making claim’s and presenting information in a very bias way.
We all of us have freedom of speech and freedom to interrupt someone if we feel it needed. I put my need to comment aside for a whole ten minutes and his talk was only supposed to be 20 minutes long maximum.
The time for proper discussion is something which is open to debate, there are those myself included who argue that my interuption to ask a legitimate question and make a legitimate point however of course there are those who argue against such what it really come’s down to is the fundamental fact’s…. My right to express myself and express my dissaproval and the other’s right to speak. Neither of our right’s were superceded in anyway at all and my interuption did not take his right away from him it merely allowed me my right.
That’s the funny thing about right’s especially human right’s they apply to everyone and everyone is equal under them nobodies right is better or more than any other person’s that is what i believe and that is what i stick to.
Attacking my work in nonviolence without fully understanding it is pointless. Nonviolence does not mean that i am going to roll over and play dead for people just to avoid being seen as “aggressive” as you accuse. The fact of the matter is i was not aggressive and interupting someone is not aggressive unless of course you start shouting, screaming and threatening none of which i did.
Your rights, Spedding, do not give you the right to abuse others. Aspergers ‘sufferers’ tend to lack the ability to see the world from anyone elses’ point of view. It’s a highly narcissistic world. Clever and manipulative, yes. Empathic and clear thinking on what might constitute ‘human’ issues, no.
The opportunity was there to listen to Solomon and then calmly and coolly pick holes in his argument. That’s why I and I’m sure many others attended. The PSS ensured this didn’t happen, their arrogance beggars belief and they’ve done their cause more harm than good
To interrupt a person, no matter how much you severely disagree with them is an infringement on freedom of speech.
I may hate everything a speaker says but I will let him have his say.
To quote voltaire “I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.”
Chang is right, if you really disagree with a person logically demonstrate their folly in the eyes of the people present.
Thumbs this up! No words! your blog and article are always useful!
I have much thankful in my heart but I dont have chance to let you know by myself.
Dear All
What Gary Speeding has stated about the plight of the Palestinians is well articulated.
In fact there are over 150 UN Resolutions on Palestine, the International Court of Justice in the Hague ruled that Israel’s ‘security barrier’ was illegal and the ICJ’s decision was supported by the UN. Last year Palestine was recognised by UNESCO including France, Spain and Ireland. As of now 130 nations in the world recognise Palestine (including India, China, Brazil, Russia, Malaysia and Indonesia).
The Palestinians continue to suffer a grave injustice and Israel’s continued and illegal settlement building on occupied land including East Jerusalem is in violation of the Road Map but also in breach of the 4th Geneva Convention. The aim being to nullify any hope for Palestine to be viable and contiguous.
Best wishes