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FOUNDER The Independent Student Newspaper of Royal Holloway, University of London
Volume 10, Issue 3
From Paris to Beirut:
Students march for ISIS victims
BY KYLE HOEKSTRA NEWS EDITOR Royal Holloway students assembled to express solidarity with victims of ISIS following unprecedented terrorist attacks in Paris and Beirut between the 12th and 13th of November. Approximately 50 students gathered in Founder’s North Quadrangle on Monday 16 November, mustering by a repurposed bed sheet below Queen Victoria. The group stood for a minute’s silence at 1pm, before lifting the banner and marching together around Founders to finish on Nobles Field. The demonstration was organised by second-year Politics and International Relations student Ryan King, who hoped to emphasise
a disparity in western media in the prominence accorded to the November 13 Paris attacks and the November 12 multiple bombings in Beirut. King said he was worried by the “possibility of further resentment of Muslim and Asian groups” following the terrorist attacks and sought to remind people that "the vast majority of the victims of Islamic terrorist groups are Muslims.” He said that attacks across the Middle East are often marginalized as “routine”. Writing on the Facebook event page, King also stressed the role of “decades of Western interference in the Middle East” in creating the conditions for jihadist movements to “thrive and multiply.” Campus security accompanied the march
and halted traffic as it was led by Ryan King from Founder’s north entrance, around the building. Defying a light November chill, the group then settled on Nobles Field with Founder’s Building behind them, and stood for photographs. Among the attendees were Professors of History Sarah Ansari and Justin Champion, whose research interests include public engagement with academic knowledge. Professor Champion described the attacks as “an attack on all of us,” and said some reaction, calling to close British borders, was a “knee-jerk reaction…just pitiful.” “The asylum seekers are fleeing these lunatics,” he said, adding, “The reason why these things are happening is because of
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December 2015
Inside: News
Founder’s Library Petition Sparks Confusion page 5
Comment Reactions to Paris and ISIS page 9
Features
The Dangers of Sunny Selfies page 14
Arts A Review of A View From the Bridge at Royal Holloway page 15
Music
Top Ten Indie Christmas Songs page 21
Film
Spectre: A Legend Disappoints page 29
Sport
Meet the Captains: Hockey, Rugby, Karate page 30
HL