Student protest at the University of Kassel: studying at the arms company

The Senate of the University of Kassel voted on Wednesday to reformulate the civil clause in the basic regulations. In practice, this means opening up the university to military research interests. In protest, students occupied a lecture hall following the Senate's decision, and others gathered in front of the building to demonstrate.

The protest will be shared live on the student initiative's Instagram channel. Students hold up signs. Spray-painted letters on a sheet read: “Unikriegsversität,” with the word war highlighted. Another has the red number 82 spray-painted on it. An allusion to the ballot that Asta had called for in advance. More than 80 percent of the 4,000 students involved voted to retain the civil clause in its current form. Around 500 university employees who signed a petition also spoke in favor of this.

The new wording of the civil clause now only says: “In this sense, research, teaching and transfer at the university should serve peaceful purposes.” The old version, which the university introduced in 2013, stated that research was not only “committed to peaceful goals” but was only allowed to “fulfill civil purposes”.

In a statement from the university it is said that in times of hybrid wars and technical developments it is “hardly possible to distinguish between civilian and potentially military use of research results”. The new version therefore appeals to the personal responsibility of individual scientists to “deal with the potential consequences of their research”. The Hessian Science Minister Timon Gremmels (SPD) welcomes the change: The University of Kassel has decided on a “modern civil clause,” he says.

For Lisanna Kelz from the Civil Clause Initiative, stay! ist die vom Senat beschlossene Änderung auf mehreren Ebenen ein Skandal: „Wir sind wütend und enttäuscht“, sagte sie der taz am Telefon, im Hintergrund sind die Rufe der Protestierenden zu hören. According to the initiative's estimates, around 300 students were gathered. Several dozen occupied Lecture Hall 1.

A negotiation with the university management failed. Die Forderung, entweder ohne Konsequenzen aus dem Hörsaal gelassen zu werden oder per Urabstimmung nochmals über die Änderung der Zivilklausel abzustimmen, wird von der Unileitung nicht angenommen. At around 3:30 a.m. the police began clearing the lecture hall. Videos show students being brutally evicted.

In einer Pressemitteilung der Polizei Nordhessen heißt es: Man habe die Be­set­ze­r:in­nen teils „nur mit körperlicher Gewalt aus dem Gebäude“ entfernen können. Criminal charges have been filed against three people for assaulting law enforcement officers. All 47 students who were evicted are also being investigated for trespassing.

“We tried every avenue for student participation, and still we weren’t heard,” says Kelz. Gerade das Machtverhältnis im Senat kritisiert sie: „Obwohl die Professoren nur einen kleinen Teil der Unimitglieder ausmachen, haben sie im Senat die Mehrheit“, sagt Kelz. Especially when the will of students is ignored, as in the case of the civil clause, this shows the problem. Your initiative calls for the Senate to introduce quarter parity - currently professors hold 9 of the 17 seats.

What does the decision mean for the future of the University of Kassel? Perhaps students will soon be able to opt for a dual study program at a defense company. As a university spokesman confirmed in response to a taz query, there had been contact between individual departments at the university and the companies KNDS and Rheinmetall. However, these did not lead to contracts or agreements.

The background is, among other things, a new model for dual students in the state of Hesse, from which the University of Kassel has raised funds. Students in the so-called MINT subjects, i.e. mathematics, computer science, natural sciences or technology, will be able to do dual training at certain companies in the future.

Für die Sprecherin der Initiative Zivilklausel bleibt!, Lisanna Kelz, ist auch das sehr fragwürdig. „Die Gespräche haben stattgefunden, bevor der Senat überhaupt abgestimmt hatte.“ Among other things, your initiative calls for the introduction of an ethics committee to implement the civil clause, which makes its work transparent for everyone at the university.

Bundesweit gab es Solidaritätsbekundungen mit den Protestierenden in Kassel. Etwa die Asten der Humboldt-Universität Berlin, der HAW Hamburg und Universität Köln. The GEW Hessen union also criticized the Senate decision: The University of Kassel is giving up a clear commitment to civil science, it said in a statement.