[ad_1]
Classes have been cancelled for thousands of University of Melbourne students while protesters at Deakin University defied a second order to disband their pro-Palestine encampments as they vowed they would “not be moved” until their demands were met.
On Wednesday, hundreds of protesters flooded the University of Melbourne’s Arts West building and unofficially renamed it “Mahmoud’s Hall” after a Palestinian who was killed with his family in Gaza before he could start his studies in Australia.
Setting up tents and banners and dragging furniture to block the entrance, the protesters said they would occupy the building until the university accepted their demands to divest from weapons manufacturers and disclose their ties to Israel.
About 100 students camped in the building overnight, ignoring the university’s request for them to leave by Wednesday afternoon. The university’s management has cancelled all classes in the building.
Victoria police have not been requested to intervene, despite warnings from the university’s acting provost, Prof Pip Nicholson, that there would be “serious consequences” if protesters remained on site.
A separate rally and teach-in went ahead at Deakin University on Wednesday evening, attended by around 200 people, after the protesters were told to dismantle their camps on Tuesday.
On Thursday afternoon, Deakin students rejected a second directive to remove their camps, saying they would call another emergency rally if police or security intervened.
“It is gross hypocrisy for Deakin to talk about safety while carrying out explosives and guided weapons research for one of the world’s largest arms companies,” organiser Jasmine Duff said. “What about the safety of people in Gaza?”
In an email sent to staff and students on Thursday, the vice chancellor, Iain Martin, said students had breached the university’s code of conduct due to “unacceptable language and behaviour”.
“We cannot allow vitriol, personal attack and intimidation to undermine our ability to engage in the considered debate … that is required to meaningfully address complex and challenging issues,” he wrote. “That is what true freedom of speech in our universities must be about.”
A separate email sent to Duff from the deputy vice-chancellor, Kerrie Parker, warned she could be subject to student misconduct procedures if she did not obey the order to immediately dismantle.
The University of Melbourne has confirmed there will be no access to the Arts West building on Thursday. Guardian Australia understands 6,500 students have been affected.
In a statement, a spokesperson said alternative arrangements would be communicated to students due to “disruption and safety issues caused by protest activity within that building”.
“The university is working with university security to ensure the safety and security of all students and staff,” they said.
“If you have concerns for your safety, please raise these with your supervisor in the first instance. We regret the inconvenience the protest is causing our university community.”
At about 1.30pm on Wednesday, Nicholson visited the protesters, warning they were violating the university’s rules and police would be in attendance within the hour if they did not leave.
She said in the event students had not left, “the university will make decisions that will regrettably and unavoidably escalate the tension”.
after newsletter promotion
In a statement on Thursday morning, police said the University of Melbourne was “presently managing the situation” and had not asked officers to intervene or remove the protesters.
It comes as nine students at Monash University have been accused of misconduct and threatened with suspension or expulsion by the university for incidents at the encampment on 7 May.
As part of the notices issued, students have been directed against communicating with anyone else part of the allegations or entering the encampment.
Student Josiah Downey said the university had chosen to “persecute students who are peacefully standing against the genocide” while ignoring their demands to disclose and cut any ties they have to Israeli institutions and weapons manufacturers.
“Monash does not want to openly shut the camp down for fear of the student movement expanding, as has been seen in the United States, so they are trying to shut down the encampment by targeting individuals.”
A Monash spokesperson said it was “committed to considering all formal reports of student general misconduct related to protest activity”.
“We are reviewing and investigating the complaints in line with our policies and procedures, which has resulted in a number of formal notices of student misconduct being issued,” they said.
Students have until 20 May to respond to the allegations. Guardian Australia understands the behaviour of counter protestors is also being investigated.
On Wednesday, seven students were brought in to a meeting with ANU and advised to vacate their camps by Friday or risk breaching the university’s code of conduct.
The federal Greens leader, Adam Bandt, has slammed the response of authorities to the protesters.
“Governments, unis and police shouldn’t be cracking down on peaceful protesters,” he posted on X.
“Students are calling for peace and an end to arming a military force that is subject to orders to stop genocide. That’s something everyone should support.”