Students’ Union rejects Remembrance Day commemorations

Recently, a motion was put forward by the Cambridge University Conservative Association to the CUSU Council suggesting there was a commemoration event to note the centenary of the end of the First World War. CUCA wanted the University Council to "encourage the commemoration of British war veterans on Remembrance Day across the University of Cambridge."

Opponents of the motion put forward an amended version that instead of just focusing on British war veterans, it would promote remembering all whose lives have been affected by war across the university. Meaning it would include not only veterans, but civilians and other victims of war as well.

Both the original motion and the amended motion were voted down in the council. In a statement on their Facebook page CUCA were shocked, believing that CUSU "wants to erase our memory and gratitude to war heroes who sacrificed so much for so many."

CUSU wanted to reiterate that "no suggestion was made that CUSU opposes Remembrance Sunday events". They said the exact motions that were put forward were not in the interests of the Council who, as a large body, democratically voted against them. It reflected the interests of students from their representatives and not CUSU directly.

In their statement, CUSU cited the British Legion's desire that remembrance "must be a matter of personal choice."