[gpva-ic] [VA-Climate] UMW students launch sit-in for divestment

Thu Mar 26 15:12:43 EDT 2015

Thanks. They are an inspiration.

> On Mar 26, 2015, at 3:04 PM, Tyla Matteson <tmatteson1 at mindspring.com> wrote:
> 
> Hi Scott,
>     In reply, here is what I received today, on what folks can do to support this:
>     --Tyla
> Also, since I am a Mary Washington alum, I plan to contact several classmates, etc.
> I am open to other ideas.  Perhaps some people can physically join the students tomorrow, if they are still continuing their sit-in.
>  
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: Charlie Spatz <mailto:charlie at chesapeakeclimate.org>
> To: va-climate-movement at googlegroups.com <mailto:va-climate-movement at googlegroups.com>
> Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2015 12:30 PM
> Subject: [VA-Climate] UMW students launch sit-in for divestment
> 
> Hi all - This morning 18 students at the University of Mary Washington launched an indefinite sit-in outside their president's office to escalate their fossil fuel divestment campaign.
> 
> You can follow along on Facebook here <https://www.facebook.com/umwdivestment>.
> 
> Follow @DivestUMW and #whoseside for live updates on Twitter.
> 
> You can also sign their petition in solidarity here <http://action.wearepowershift.org/petitions/stand-w-200-students-marching-on-umw-to-demand-divestment>. 
> 
> Last Wednesday, Divest UMW presented to the Board of Visitors, but had their appeals summarily ignored. The BOV didn't even vote on their proposal to form a subcommittee to evaluate divestment options. (See video <https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=450215185136633&set=vb.228354310656056&type=2&theater> of students confronting Rector Cuellar.) The sit-in is their response, calling on the president, who had backed their proposal, to keep standing with them in demanding action.
> 
> Today's sit-in also follows the amazing VA Power Shift march for divestment <http://www.fredericksburg.com/news/local/students-march-for-fossil-fuel-divestment-at-umw/article_f2740edb-db96-5392-b0c3-23c6f3b67f5b.html> on the UMW campus last month.
> 
> Here's the students' press release <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CILRxqrFSuZZK39-M2zWfHmWfS684bDJ4DgjjVXqV-A/pub>:
> 
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
> March 26, 2015
> 
> Contact:
> Zakaria Kronemer, 301-919-2814 <tel:301-919-2814> zakariakronemer at gmail.com <mailto:zakariakronemer at gmail.com>
> Rabib Hasan, 571 - 529 -0272 <tel:571%20-%20529%20-0272> rabibhasan123 at gmail.com <mailto:rabibhasan123 at gmail.com>
> Sarah Kinzer, 434 -390 -2690 <tel:434%20-390%20-2690> sekinzer at gmail.com <mailto:sekinzer at gmail.com>
> 
> UMW Students engage in nonviolent civil disobedience to demand action for divestment
> As of Thursday, March 26, at 9:30 a.m. 18 students at the University of Mary Washington have engaged in a non-violent direct action sit-in at President Hurley’s office to show support for his recent backing of the creation of a subcommittee to research divestment.
> 
> Rector Holly Cuellar’s decision not to allow a vote for the subcommittee on Wednesday, March 18, conveyed to the students that the BOV does not have the intention to actually hear the voices of DivestUMW, more than 1,000 UMW students, a third of faculty, and the President himself.
> 
> Rabib Hasan, co-chair of DivestUMW, stated that “UMW BOV Rector Holly Cuellar’s decision shows the apparent disconnection between the BOV and the student body, and it has resulted in inadequate student representation in our university. They need to show us whose side they are on.”
> 
> DivestUMW’s demands read as such: “To the University of Mary Washington Board of Visitors & Administration- Please respond to the overwhelming student demand for fossil fuel divestment immediately. Students are sitting in today to demand that you take decisive steps towards divestment. The global climate crisis is urgent; UMW should create a subcommittee for divestment and commit to creating a plan to divest from the coal industry by the end of the Spring 2016 semester.” 
> 
> -- 
> Charlie Spatz
> Virginia State Wide Organizer
> Chesapeake Climate Action Network
> 804.767.8726 <tel:804.767.8983> (o)
> 914-255-8298 <tel:914-255-8298> (c)
> 
> www.chesapeakeclimate.org <http://www.chesapeakeclimate.org/>
> facebook.com/ChesapeakeClimate <http://facebook.com/ChesapeakeClimate>
> twitter.com/CCAN_VA <http://twitter.com/CCAN_VA>
> 
> -- 
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