Friends of Peace: UR-SDS announcement and needs
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Friends of Peace,
Today, Friday February 6, University of Rochester students and staff, along with other Rochester community members, with be occupying a building at the University of Rochester river campus to express our longings for peace and our solidarity with the Palestinians. The University of Rochester Students for a Democratic Society (and friends) will claim a space on campus and declare it a liberated community space, an autonomous zone we will occupy until our demands of the University are met (demands include divestment, educational and humanitarian aid, scholarships for Palestinian students).
The action will commence at 3:00 pm today in the atrium of Goergen Hall on the River Campus of the University of Rochester. The address is 275 Hutchinson Road. (map: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozil...).
Depending the the openness of the administration to our peaceful sit-in, the circumstances of our actions may change rapidly, so make sure to follow the latest events through our public blog: http://prometheus.scp.rochester.edu/ursds/blog.
The action UR-SDS is organizing is done in the spirit of peace and in solidarity with a particular oppressed and suffering people: the Palestinians. We recognize people have been hurt on all sides of the United States-Arab-Israeli conflicts. At this moment we are highlighting the plight of the Palestinians because their dire situation continues to deteriorate and we think it is important to raise awareness their situation and the United States role in thwarting peace and democracy in the Palestine. We are welcoming the wider Rochester community because UR-SDS believes the community to be an integral part of the University of the Rochester. If you choose to join us in our action, whatever what your particular viewpoint, we ask to come in the spirit of peace and dialogue seeking understanding.
What You Can Do to Help
Come out to participate and support the action
Schedule your activist meetings this weekend to take place at the liberated space
Contact and suggest other people that might be interested
Bring banners, signs, Palestinian flags
Bring Israel-Palestine FAQs, fact sheets, pamphlets
Give epic speeches
Read poetry
Bring relevant Israel/Palestine films
Bring Food
Bring your spirit, humanity, and hopes for a less violent and oppressive world
If you can help in one or more of these ways contact us by e-mail (uofr.sds@gmail.com) or by phone (917-595-9317 or 217-721-5680).
In solidarity, peace, and love,
Ryan Acuff
University of Rochester Students for a Democratic Society
