One of the protesters refusing to leave the Arts West building said students would continue their occupation until the university severed its research agreement with companies that supply defence technology to Israel.
Gemma O’Toole, an Arts student involved in the occupation, said the protest was timed to coincide with Nakba Day, a date that commemorates the mass displacement of Palestinians during the Arab/Israeli war 76 years ago. She has been camping on the university’s south lawn since ANZAC Day and said the occupation was a planned escalation by the protest movement.
“The demands have been the same for seven months,” she said. “Of course people are ready to escalate. We have been outside freezing. This university clearly holds their students in contempt.
“This is indefinite. This is about disclosing and divesting and nothing will change until the demands are met.”
O’Toole said that at about 1.30pm, shortly after the occupation began, Acting Provost Pip Nicholson came into the Arts West building to tell students that if they did not move on within the hour, she would involve the police.
“We have garnered a lot of support from the community. There are a lot of people who care deeply. So right now, I’m looking around at hundreds of people I have never seen before.”
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Nicholson, a deputy vice-chancellor who has become the university’s trouble-shooter on a series of complex issues, is considered a leading candidate to replace Duncan Maskell as the university’s most senior administrator. The day before students moved into the Arts West building, she sent a lengthy message to all staff and students reiterating the university’s commitment to free speech but warning against disruptive protests.
“We firmly believe that respectful and non-disruptive protests on our campuses must allow all members of our community to participate fully and freely in university life, without fear, threat or intimidation,” she wrote.
“We are mindful of the effect of the ongoing encampment on our South Lawn, one of the University’s major communal open spaces in Parkville, on all members of our university community. At all times, the safety of our staff and students is paramount and this includes those encamped.”
“As the grounds of the university are public open spaces, we also are deeply concerned about the disruptive intent of some external visitors to our Parkville campus. Where there are instances of unacceptable behaviour, we will investigate and take appropriate action, which may involve referral to the police.”
Deakin University issued the ban on the encampment on Monday, citing the safety, security and amenity of all campus users.
The university has so far ignored the question of how it will enforce the order.
A rally protesting against the ban will be held at the Deakin encampment on Wednesday night. There are also pro-Palestine protests happening in Melbourne’s CBD throughout the afternoon, including a student strike for Nakba Day at 2pm at the State Library.
The long-running pro-Palestine protests and university encampments have triggered a national debate about free speech and discrimination on campuses, and prompted counterprotests by supporters of Israel.
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Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler called on other universities to order protesters to leave, but lawyer Greg Barns said that “heavy-handed enforcement should be the very last resort” when it came to freedom of speech and the right to protest.
Leibler said the “decision by the Deakin encampment to defy university instructions is a line in the sand, dividing rule-of-law society and anarchic protesters”.
“We are confident that the state and federal governments will strongly encourage law-enforcement authorities to ensure that universities are fully supported if protesters don’t comply with university rules.”
Other universities have not followed Deakin’s lead so far, although Monash University is now doing student identification checks on protesters at its Clayton campus following Monday’s clash between pro-Palestine and pro-Israel supporters.
The University of Melbourne said it was “mindful of the effect of the ongoing encampment on our south lawn, one of the university’s major communal open spaces in Parkville, on all members of our university community”.
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RMIT said it was “implementing pre-emptive and proactive measures while members of the RMIT community exercise their right to protest”.
Duff said the Deakin protesters had received advice that their camp was legal.
Barns is the spokesman for the Australian Lawyers Alliance and was behind a letter signed by hundreds of lawyers in November urging a ceasefire in Gaza and the West Bank.
He said Deakin’s order for the disbandment of the students’ camp “appears to run contrary to its policy that freedom of speech by students is a ‘paramount value’ and its exercise not ‘unnecessarily burdened by restrictions or other burdens’ other than those imposed by law”.
“So, the decision to undermine that paramount value is very serious and could only be done if there was a proven threat to health, safety and wellbeing which the university claims is the reason.”
Barns said if Deakin had simply acted on complaints and not investigated them, or sought to negotiate with the protesters, then this was arguably unlawful.
“One might add that such heavy-handed tactics by university administrations using their legal powers are counterproductive. When it comes to freedom of speech and the right to protest, censoring it through heavy-handed enforcement should be the very last resort.”
Announcing the ban, Deakin’s deputy vice chancellor of university services, Kerrie Parker, said protesters had engaged in unacceptable behaviour that created an “impediment to the normal use and function of the campus”.
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“The right to freedom of speech does not extend to the establishment of unauthorised camps which pose hygiene and safety risks and restrict the access, availability and use of Deakin premises and facilities for the benefit of the Deakin community of users,” she said on Monday.
Meanwhile, police arrested two people on Wednesday morning after offices of the ABC in Southbank, Seven Network in Docklands and Deputy Premier Ben Carroll in Niddrie were vandalised. Protesters sprayed the ABC with fake blood and wrote: “The ABC enables genocide.”
In response, Carroll said hate had no place in Victoria and his staff were entitled to stay safe at work.
Premier Jacinta Allen said: “There is so much loss of life, there is so much grief, as a result of the conflict in the Middle East.
“Let’s not bring that grief to the streets of Melbourne. Let’s not add to the grief of so many in our community here.”
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Source Agencies
