The prolonged Goldsmiths anti-racism crusade finally drew to a close when the Goldsmiths University of London agreed to satisfy the demands of the vehement campaigners.
On Monday, Professor Prof Elisabeth Hill, the acting warden on the campus, reaffirmed through an open letter to students that the growing racism situation will be assessed and controls will be put in place. She agreed to conduct staff training for anti-discrimination practices on the campus and re-evaluate its existing harassment and discrimination procedures.
The march against racism
It all began in Mar 2019, when the campaigners orchestrated a sequence of rallies on the campus of Goldsmiths and insisted on several anti-racism measures. The demonstrators protested against the absence of anti-racism awareness in senior management after a student was treated unfairly in the student union elections.
Although the campaigners were allowed to occupy the campus until an agreement is reached, the situation, aggravated when the university earned a court order against the campaign.
The long-running negotiations were concluded following hours of discussions that ultimately led to the university accepting to adopt anti-discriminatory policies in racism.
The university commitments
In an attempt to address gentrification and externalizing of the jobs from the university campus, both parties reached an understanding that the university will strive to retain jobs within the local community and permit utilization of the campus premises. Moreover, it also agreed to recruit security personnel from within the community.
The Palestinian students jumped for joy when it was decided to reinstate their scholarship in the subsequent academic year.
The official document stating the statement of commitments made by campus officials also specified that failure to meet demands will cause the activists to resuscitate the campaign.
While the university continued to draw criticism over its evident ignorance in the matter until now, the campaigners ridiculed its reputation for playing inequitable progressive politics.
