Wits protest over soldier's visit
2009-08-12 12:11
Johannesburg - Students at the University of the Witwatersrand were set to protest on Wednesday against a visit by South African-born Israeli soldier, David Benjamin.
Benjamin spoke at the university in Johannesburg on Sunday, August 9.
Students allege that on the day of the talk, a private security firm took control of the gates at the university and barred many students, mostly black, from entering.
"They were disallowing black students onto campus for the most part... the control of campus gates were taken over by a private security company who were mostly 17- to 25-year-old young white men," said student, Natasha Vally.
Protest organiser, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, said around 50 students would gather on campus on Wednesday and march to the concourse at Senate House.
'Harassment and racial profiling'
The students are requesting that the university management distance itself from Benjamin's visit and the "harassment and racial profiling" that took place on Sunday.
"They had private security people monitoring who comes in and who goes out. Some of the students were barred and most of these were black or Indian," he said.
Vally said students had expressed concern over Benjamin's visit, due to his role in the Gaza war, by sending letters to management.
"We are not asking that the university distance itself from him because of his opinions but because of his deeds. It's because he himself indicated his involvement in the Gaza war."
Students want university management to acknowledge there was racial discrimination on campus on Sunday and to disassociate itself from Benjamin.
Anger over visit
Benjamin's invitation to address a conference, hosted by Limmud-SA, raised the ire of some civil society organisations, including the Palestinian Solidarity Alliance (PSA), the Media Review Network (MRN) and the Congress of SA Trade Unions.
According to the Limmud South Africa website www.limmud.org.za, Benjamin was Israel's last Military Attorney-General in the Gaza Strip.
Around 1 400 people were killed, mostly civilians, in Gaza during the war which lasted just over three weeks.
The PSA and the MRN have called for South African authorities to arrest Benjamin for alleged war crimes.
- SAPA