apologies for cross-posting. ----- Original Message ----- From: [log in to unmask] To: [log in to unmask] Sent: Monday, June 13, 2005 2:59 PM Subject: Urgent Petition - please sign (fwd) Dear Friends and Colleagues, I urge you to sign the following online petition against the criminalisation of peaceful student protesters by Lancaster University: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/gfox6/ I personally think it is shocking that the university insists on persecuting its own students for peacefully protesting against links between the university and arms producers, chemical manufacturers and oil companies. The university's reasons for pressing charges of 'aggravated trespass' are spurious at best. I was teaching in the building throughout the protest and can confirm the protest took place only in the lobby of the building, and that the protesters later moved outside to continue their protest. Users of the building anywhere other than the lobby were unaffected. Rather than intending to 'intimidate, obstruct or disrupt' as the Criminal Justice Act 1994 describes the offence, I believe these protesters intended to educate, enlighten and raise awareness, entirely appropriate activities for a building named after the founder of the Quaker movement. You can find out more about the protest and subsequent action by the university at http://www.free-webspace.biz/GeorgeFox/index.html or in the latest issue of SCAN (p3), http://www.lusu.co.uk/scan/news/georgefox6.html In addition to signing the petition, I urge you to write to the Vice-Chancellor (Prof. Paul Wellings), stating your concerns about the university's suppression of free speech, and to pass this e-mail on to your friends and colleagues. Thanks, Johnny. -- *J W Unger* Dept. of Linguistics and English Language Lancaster University Lancaster LA2 0JU Tel:(+44/0)1524 593848 Mob:(+44/0) 7711 329283