Punctuations

I agree with Lewis -- the comma after demands is a mistake. The comma + conjunction ", and" separates two independant clauses while a bare conjunction "and" is used to separate a dependant clause from the independent clause.

Since the subject of what follows "demands and" occurs before the "and", the final clause is dependent and no comma is required.

There was, at one time, a school of thought that said you place commas whereever a slight pause in speech occurred. While this use of a comma is useful for describing dialogue, it can lead you astray in other situations.

Because the phrase given up is in referance to a direct quote from the lecturers. It would be the same if they had quoted anything else the lectureres said.

The comma after demands is to divide a dependent clause from an independent clause, making a complex sentence (note that the comma is follwed by the conjunction and). If you remove the conjunction, the comma would need to be a period and the dependent clause that follows would need to have a subject added.

....on their demands, and had no great....

...on their demands. They had no great....

I hope that makes sense!

Dropping the Curiously, would be correct (but keep the comma that follows the lecturers).