University of Queensland’s great court evacuated after reports of a ‘threat’

Police have been called to the University of Queensland after reports of a bomb threat, as the student union votes on the Gaza war.

A vote by University of Queensland students on UQ ties with Israel has gone ahead despite a bomb threat that shut down the main campus’ Great Court.

Police were called to the St Lucia campus in Brisbane after the threat was received by phone about 4.40pm on Wednesday.

An exclusion zone was declared, with students evacuated from buildings and a pro-Palestinian protest camp.

A police search of the area found no suspicious items, with an investigation launched to trace the source of the threat.

The University of Queensland has confirmed that the anonymous report received late this afternoon was a hoax.

Access to the Great Court and surrounding buildings has been reinstated.

Students line up to vote as a bomb threat causes evacuations at UQ’s St Lucia campus. Picture: Steve Pohlner

While the Great Court was closed off with security patrolling the perimeter, students were seen lining up to vote in droves at the UQ Centre for the UQU vote at 6pm.

UQ student Beau Chen was studying when sirens started blaring across the university campus.

“I was studying in the central library and then the evacuation alarm went off,” Mr Chen said.

“We didn’t really know what’s happening, but everyone just started moving towards the Great Court.

“There were rumours that people were saying that it was a bomb threat.

“I feel like people didn’t really take it seriously.”

Security at UQ after reports of an anonymous threat. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Fellow student Emily Rogerson felt like the bomb threat was a hoax.

“A bomb threat was called and we’ve been locked out of all the buildings,” Ms Rogerson said.

“We’re assuming someone’s like, called a bomb threat, thinking it would stop the vote from going ahead, but I think that’s still going ahead.

“I don’t think people think it’s real.”

Students were asked vote on three questions related to alleged ties between the University of Queensland and Israel amid the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Should UQ sever ties with companies that supply the Israeli Defence Force, if UQ should shut down the Boeing Centre, and should UQ financially divest from Israel.

All three motions were carried, making them the official position of the UQ Union.

Students continued pro-Palestinian protests following the vote.

Students line up for the UQU general meeting. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Despite the threat that was made, Students for Palestine camp organiser Ella Gutteridge said the vote attracted strong interest from students on campus.

“I think that the outcome is that this is the highest democratic vote of the student body at UQ,” Ms Gutteridge said.

“We really hope that this is enough to make the university really consider and listen to our demands.

“We can’t make it any clearer now that our position of getting weapons companies off campus is not a radical minority position. It’s a position held by many, many students on campus.”

Ms Gutteridge said following the vote, students congregated in front of the main administration building to make a point.

“Everyone was so elated that we won - the energy was very high,” Ms Gutteridge said.

“So we decided to march to the admin building to take our message there to the vice-chancellor.

“This was the biggest protest for Palestine, I believe in UQ history, probably the biggest protest on campus since the Vietnam War.”