The University Board has issued a statement on the announced protest meeting of the "Students for Palestine" in Würzburg.
For the start of lectures in the current winter semester, the organization "Students for Palestine Würzburg" has announced a protest meeting lasting several days in the vicinity of the university. The Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) would like to make it clear that the event is in no way related to it: JMU is neither the organizer or promoter of this action, nor does it support it.
Safety and non-violence on campus
"The University of Würzburg sees it as its obligation and top priority to ensure a safe, respectful and fear-free environment for all students and staff. All forms of antisemitism, racism, discrimination and violence contradict the fundamental values of our university. They have no place at JMU and will be consistently punished," emphasizes University President Paul Pauli.
Democratic discourse at the university
"We respect the diversity of opinions and perspectives within our university community and fully support freedom of opinion and academic freedom. The exchange and debate on current complex topics takes place in the university on the basis of our free and democratic basic order and is fact-based," reads the statement from the university management.
"Especially in these challenging times, we expect all students and staff to treat each other with respect and to engage in a level-headed and nuanced exchange."
The statement continues: "The University of Würzburg is a politically neutral institution. Research, teaching and studying must be possible for all members of the university in a peaceful and respectful environment."
Contact and support
Various contact points are available for students who need advice or support. For example, the Diversity Coordination Office offers help and resources for anyone affected by antisemitism or other forms of discrimination through the Anti-Discrimination Helpdesk: https://www.uni-wuerzburg.de/en/diversity/advice-and-support/
Those affected can contact the Anti-Discrimination Helpdesk by email at [email protected] or [email protected] or, anonymously if they wish, via the portal https://uni-wue.share-a-hint.com/ .
