stopg4s – Permission To Narrate

Yesterday King’s College London (KCL) announced that it has awarded it’s £10 million security contract for ‘most’ of it’s campuses and all its residences to CIS Security.

KCL Action Palestine (KCLAP) welcomes this decision as a step in the right direction towards our greater struggle for the adoption of an effective and robust ethical investment and procurement policy.

Divestment sends a strong message to companies like Group4Securicor (G4S) which are complicit in the violation of human rights and international law. It is important to remember that G4S’s misconduct is current, it is happening as we speak. In the 21st century, one of the largest private sector companies is constantly abusing its position of power through racist malpractice and disregard for human dignity through it’s pursuit of profit.

From as far as South Africa, to university campuses across the UK such as Birmingham and Southampton. The call to Stop G4S is moving from strength to strength.

The continuous effort of resistance and support by the KCL students and staff has been the driving force of our campaign. The next step in our movement is to ensure KCL does not renew its existing contracts with G4S, a demand that has yet to be recognised by the college.

Student consultation is fundamental in ensuring our institution is one that operates conscientiously. We must not tire in applying pressure. This is our campus where we work, teach and study.

Sign the petition. Attend our open meetings. Spread the word and join the call to Stop G4S.

In solidarity,

KCLAP Committee 2013-14

In May 2013 King’s College London (KCL) announced a new contract with the British-Danish security giant ‘Group4Securicor’ (G4S). G4S is providing our University with it’s services through G4S Security Services UK LTD and G4S Technology LTD. There is also a potential £10 million contract with G4S in the pipeline to secure our campuses.

G4S has repeatedly been accused of numerous human rights abuses. Most notable is its disregard for the Fourth Geneva Convention, through its illegal transportation of Palestinian political prisoners from the occupied West Bank to the occupying Israeli state. G4S were complicit in the death of the Angolan detainee, Jimmy Mubenga which led the coroner to conclude an institutionally “pervasive racism” within the company. This, coupled with concerns that many of the security personnel are “not officially accredited to carry out removals”, means that they would have been acting illegally. Stark reminders of G4S’s lack of concern for human rights and its failings as an organisation to protect the welfare of its clients.

Furthermore, several directors of G4S have employed questionable taxation practices which HMRC describes as “tax avoidance, pure and simple”.

The company awarded this £10 million security contract will be in direct contact with students. Our personal security cannot and should not be protected by a company that fails to uphold standards of ethical and commercial provision elsewhere.

KCLAP demands that KCL cancels all existing and future contracts with G4S, as well as deny the renewal of any existing contracts with G4S. KCLAP demands that the student body is involved in ensuring that KCL is a university that invests ethically in both its services and its research. We, the students, demand the university establish a more effective ethical investment policy, so that KCL cannot be complicit in acts of moral bankruptcy through its affiliation with companies that disregard international law. By investing in companies and institutions involved in violations of human rights we become complicit in its misconduct.

In Solidarity,

KCLAP Committee 2013-14

To sign our online petition visit:

http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/get-g4s-off-king-s-college-london-campuses

For further inquires, please email: kclactionpalestine@googlemail.com