Politics and the actions that flow from them are inseparable. I address this not to the members of the NEC and others using arguments about accessibility to deflect from the underlying political differences but to those within the Disabled Students campaign who participated in the extraordinary and Disabled Students conferences.

Gaza Occupations

As people will be aware the anger that swept the world at the Israeli assault on Gaza manifested itself in some of the angriest and biggest protests seen in recent years. Over 100,000 people took to the streets over several weeks determined to make their voices heard in solidarity with Palestine despite indifference from the Government, the “international community” and heavy handed action from the police.

The widespread support for Palestine and determined intervention of activists in our universities gave rise to the largest wave of successful student occupations in a generation. Of the around 30 occupations that took place most enjoyed popular support, politicised their campuses and won enough of their demands to be considered a victory by students at their colleges. The tactic also generalised to the successful occupation to defend student’s education at Byam Shaw School of Art.

Despite receiving wide spread support from the press, trade unions and figures like Desmond Tutu NUS remained hostile to the point where our president felt the need to correct a quote of his in the Independent saying he welcomed the “return of student activism” to denouncing the occupations as being intimidating and creating anti-Semitism.

Inside NUS

Before the occupations had really taken hold our executive had already met to decide a position of the “situation in Israel and Gaza.” The meeting (with opposition from myself, Hind, Bell and Nasir) voted down resolutions noting the humanitarian disaster in Gaza and instead a motion was passed posing it as a war between two equal sides that was “too complicated to take a position on”. NUS then explicitly took sides by denouncing the Palestine solidarity movement as anti-Semitic.

As the occupations spread the gap between the new movement and NUS got larger. Those of us who supported and helped spread the occupations felt that if no expression was given to the demands of the occupations and the majority opinion over Palestine amongst students inside NUS then the gap would start to become unbridgeable.

I supported the stage occupation when it took place in NUS Extraordinary Conference for these reasons. I still think it is only right that what is happening on campus finds an expression in NUS. The decision by Wes Streeting to grant the occupation a speech which I took on behalf of the occupiers has been attacked but I believe was justified in explaining the actions and allowing conference to continue. The occupation had no intention of blocking the conference reaching its conclusion instead wishing to raise the growing gap between NUS and opinion, leadership and action on our campuses. I have always understood NUS as a plural organisation but the developments since the extraordinary conference give the impression that radical currents will only be tolerated if we silence ourselves and accept the space for major debates being squeezed out of NUS.

Disabled Students Motion

No argument has been put forward as to why the protest was discriminatory or inaccessible because it could not be substantiated. The allegation that the Disabled Students' officer faced discrimination is simply untrue. In a venue where the Disabled Students' officer could only exit off the back of the stage it was always the case that Adam or any other officer could leave or remain at any point. It was in fact officers opposing the occupation wishing to walk off stage who demanded “people let Adam off the stage” and the protestors made it clear to all on the NEC what the intentions of the protest were and that anyone who wanted was welcome to join in or do as they please. It should be clear to all that the protesters would have supported any delegate who wished to take part in the protest regardless of any issues around accessibility.

The actual motion from Kings is clouded by the fact that its motivators have a vision of student politics far removed from the traditions of political debate on which NUS is based. This Union has also submitted a motion to annual conference suggesting that those who took part in college occupations were creating anti-Semitism and intimidating students. The motion goes as far as to suggest the expulsion of those who took place in the protests from NUS! This is part of an attack well beyond the scope of the original motion presented to Disabled Students Conference.

Discrimination or Disagreement

Accessible conferences are necessary for all students but Disabled Students in particular. Measures like access-breaks and breaking conference into more manageable chunks should be welcomed by all. The real and present danger however is that the language of accessibility is used as a screen for political attacks and repressing the cut and thrust of political debate needed to give NUS life. More fundamentally the struggle to create a world where disabled liberation and the elimination of discrimination is possible is predicated on building a movement with a higher level of debate than exists in NUS so it can push beyond the limits set by the status quo.

Both those who voted for the motion at the Disabled Students Conference and those who would consider voting for something similar should be careful to distinguish between anger/frustration flowing from disagreement and genuine discrimination. If anyone genuinely felt excluded then I apologise and ask you to speak to us about working together in future but for those who wish to silence the radical left I make no such apology.

In building a movement for real liberation and a world without discrimination those on the stage will campaign with more energy and commitment alongside disabled students than those who would condemn us.

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