25 February 1999 Edition
No democracy at Queens
Members of the Sheena Campbell Sinn Fein cumann held a peaceful protest outside Queen's Student Union demanding equal rights on Friday 19 February.
The students were protesting at the exclusion of Sinn Fein from the Student's Union. A motion proposing recognition for the cumann within the Student's Union was defeated by 43 votes to 23 with Unionist students voting against recognition and a number of SDLP students abstaining from the vote.
Queens Union president, Paul McGarrity said, ``the unionists at Queen's have oppressed the aims and ethos of the Belfast Agreement by surrendering to non-pluralist and exclusive forces within their own party headquarters. Now is not the time to deprive the voice of legitimate political parties''.
Students at the university hit out at the hypocrisy of the unionists, pointing out that they will talk to Sinn Fein at Stormont but will not recognise them in the university.
South Belfast Sinn Fein councillor Sean Hayes has reacted angrily to this exclusion saying, ``Sinn Fein, a legal and democratic political party, who represent 45% of the nationalist community, have been told by Queens student Unionists that we have no right to equal recognition within the Student's Union. Republican students are being treated as second class citizens and denied their right to participate fully in the life of the Student's Union''.
He added, ``the same reactionary attitudes seen tonight caused the murder of Sheena Campbell in 1992. How long will it be before such attitudes manifest themselves in more violence against nationalists on campus''.
Chairman of the new Cumann, Kieran Dunbar, reaffirmed their commitment to continue the campaign for the recognition of the society.
The students were protesting at the exclusion of Sinn Fein from the Student's Union. A motion proposing recognition for the cumann within the Student's Union was defeated by 43 votes to 23 with Unionist students voting against recognition and a number of SDLP students abstaining from the vote.
Queens Union president, Paul McGarrity said, ``the unionists at Queen's have oppressed the aims and ethos of the Belfast Agreement by surrendering to non-pluralist and exclusive forces within their own party headquarters. Now is not the time to deprive the voice of legitimate political parties''.
Students at the university hit out at the hypocrisy of the unionists, pointing out that they will talk to Sinn Fein at Stormont but will not recognise them in the university.
South Belfast Sinn Fein councillor Sean Hayes has reacted angrily to this exclusion saying, ``Sinn Fein, a legal and democratic political party, who represent 45% of the nationalist community, have been told by Queens student Unionists that we have no right to equal recognition within the Student's Union. Republican students are being treated as second class citizens and denied their right to participate fully in the life of the Student's Union''.
He added, ``the same reactionary attitudes seen tonight caused the murder of Sheena Campbell in 1992. How long will it be before such attitudes manifest themselves in more violence against nationalists on campus''.
Chairman of the new Cumann, Kieran Dunbar, reaffirmed their commitment to continue the campaign for the recognition of the society.