Pro-Palestinian camp refuses to leave University of Queensland amid threat of police action

University of Queensland students in a pro-Palestinian camp have rejected the university’s request to discontinue as further restrictions are introduced.

Pro-Palestinian protesters are defying orders to pack up encampments at the University of Queensland’s St Lucia campus despite threats of police involvement and disciplinary action against students.

The university on Friday issued both pro-Palestine and Israel camps notices to discontinue due to concerns over student and staff safety, with Chancellor Peter Varghese declaring “anti Semitism and other hate speech has no place on our campus”.

Today, Camp Shalom protesters were packing up, but Students for Palestine camp organiser Ella Gutteridge said their members would remain “until there is a real change at this university”.

UQ student and pro-Palestine protester Liam Parry said the camp would continue to call for an open forum with Vice-Chancellor Deborah Terry so their demands could be heard.

“The university has refused every time we have raised this with them to hold such meeting,” he said.

Ella Gutteridge from the Students for Palestine encampment. Picture: David Clark

“As far as we know the university has not given us an order of eviction and they didn’t communicate that in the email to us.”

The Courier-Mail understands the university has banned chants of “Out, out Israel out” and the use of the “anti-Semitic stickers” that were plastered on walls during a fiery protest on Thursday.

The university has warned failure to comply could result in “further disciplinary action.”

Students have also been advised to remove posters with “student Intifada” and have restricted a screening of Israelism.

A University of Queensland spokeswoman said “we advised staff and students that the University’s objective is to discontinue the camps as soon as possible”.

“The organisers of the Students for Palestine camp were given prior advice of this communication,” she said.

Oula Shihan in the Students for Palestine encampment. Picture: David Clark

“Our objective is to minimise disruption to university activities, particularly for our students and staff as we head into the upcoming exam period.”

Camp Shalom campaigner Alyssa Peterson has welcomed the university’s response and was alongside campers rolling up tents on Saturday.

“We believe this is a gentle push in the right direction. The good news classes do end next Friday, and this to us is the best option we have,” she said.

Ms Peterson said the demands of Camp Shalom had been met, which were to end both encampments, protect staff and students, and end hate speech and anti-Semitism.

“The university has acknowledged that anti-Semitic statements and stickers and videos were circulated around and that anti-Semitism does not have a place on campus,” she said.

“Therefore, they will be making amendments to policy such as Intifada, to the river and the sea and other forms of hate speech will not be tolerated on campus any longer.”

Camp Shalom member Alyssa Peterson packing up the pro-Israel camp on Saturday. Picture: David Clark

Demonstrations continue at other university campuses across Australia, including at the University of Melbourne and Monash University, where students have been threatened with being expelled.

Meanwhile Deakin University has made a second order to remove encampments from its Burwood campus and the Australian National University in Canberra has become the second university to request students to vacate encampments.