On 17 December, 20 year old, Qesser Zuhrah was taken to hospital from HMP Bronzefield on the 46th day of her hunger strike.
Qesser Zuhrah was jailed for involvement in Palestine Action, a group that the British Government proscribed as a terrorist organisation as a means to criminalise protest and dissent. Qesser is one of eight hunger strikers, awaiting trial, who are demanding immediate bail, the lifting of the ban on Palestine Action, and the end of restrictions on their communications.
While Qesser was eventually taken to hospital, this didn’t happen as soon as it should have, with HMP Bronzefieldinitially repeatedly refusing to call an ambulance and threatening to turn an ambulance away should one be called.
For those of us in the University of Galway, these actions and inactions should be of particular concern because HMP Bronzefield is run by Sodexo Justice Services, a subsidiary of Sodexo – the company who run the Bialann.
I’ve highlighted before the numerous human rights abuses Sodexo is guilty of and this one is just another on the list for them. However, for our University this is another organisation, committing human rights abuses regarding Palestine, that the University has ties to.
Despite having the Irish Centre for Human Rights on campus, it’s clear that the University of Galway has a human rights problem.
The issue that’s been drawing the most attention has, of course, been the partnership with Technion – the Israeli Institute of Technology. Technion has a particularly bloody hand in the genocide being waged on Palestinians. Its technological research is heavily embedded into the Israeli military, professing to turn “academic concepts into operational solutions for the battlefield.” By which they mean; finding new and innovative ways to slaughter civilians.
Since the University’s partnership with Technion was announced there has been consistent pressure for the Palestine Solidarity Society, the Students’ Union, SIPTU, Staff for Palestine, and many more, but yet the partnership persists, spitting in the face of international law.
On our campus, the University also holds an agreement with The Coca-Cola Company giving them ‘pouring rights’ on campus. This essentially means that any drink you buy on-campus from a fridge was supplied by Coca-Cola. At the same time, Coco-Cola continues to operate out of the Atarot Settlement Industrial Zone, an illegal Israeli settlement in East Jerusalem. It’s for this reason that Coca-Cola became a boycott target of the BDS Movement.
While the University’s contract with Coca-Cola does predate Coco-Cola becoming a priority boycott target, Coca-Cola does have a strong reputation of human rights abuse allegations, including in Sinaltrainal v Coca-Cola Co.. That case was when Coca-Cola was sued over alleged use of far-right death squads in Colombia to kidnap, torture, and kill trade unionists in their bottling factories. The case was dismissed, but even then one would hope the University would’ve thought twice about giving them pouring rights.
Between Technion, Coca-Cola, and now Sodexo, the University’s relationship with the human rights of Palestinians is simply abhorrent. The only way forward for the University is to step up and have the moral courage to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people by ending its relationships with Technion, Coca-Cola, and Sodexo. Otherwise, there will be a stain in this University’s history that will never wash out.
University of Galway were asked for comment, but SIN received no reply
Seán is a final year BA Government student. When not preoccupied wreaking havoc and/or drinking pints, Seán can often be found making the case for various causes through writing, debating, protesting, angrily gesticulating, etc.