University of Sydney boss Mark Scott clashes with pro-Palestine activists over new rule book

The University of Sydney administration has once again clashed with pro-Palestine activist students and staff, this time over new rules explicitly banning encampments.

The University of Sydney administration has once again clashed with pro-Palestine activist students and staff, this time over new rules explicitly banning the kind of “occupation” protesters employed at the Camperdown campus for weeks on end.

In an email to students on Thursday, Vice-Chancellor Mark Scott set out a list of changes to the university’s “campus access policy”, including that any activity “using megaphones or amplifiers, erecting structures, projecting words or images onto buildings or other structures, using cooking equipment or heaters not provided by the University, (and) attaching materials, banners or structures to University buildings” would require approval and at least 72 hours’ notice.

Demonstrations can still be held without approval, but organisers must still give three days’ notice, and they “must be held in open spaces and are not permitted inside any building”.

Camping has been banned outright, along with “intimidating behaviour”, “using a megaphone … in close proximity to a person”, “dumping rubbish or other materials” and “storing personal property on University lands without permission”.

“At its core, this policy upholds our commitment to free speech — while recognising we need to be able to manage our environment for the safety and security of all,” Professor Scott wrote. “We continue to support the right to peaceful, orderly protest.”

Pro-Israel and pro-Palestine protesters hung banners and flags around the university during the encampment protest. Picture: Richard Dobson

Sydney University Vice Chancellor Mark Scott says the new rules preserve students’ rights of free speech. Picture: John Grainger

While neither the policy nor the Vice-Chancellor’s letter addressed by name the pro-Palestine encampment that besieged the university grounds for two months, organisers of that protest immediately leapt to social media to decry the rules as a “draconian” retaliation, and an attack on freedom of speech.

The Students for Palestine group urged students to sign and open letter calling on the university to “drop the ‘Campus Access Policy’ immediately”, while the Student Representative Council described the policy as “anti-protest measures” that had been “covertly adopted” at a meeting of the University Senate last Friday.

Pro-Palestine protesters and student representative council members Harrison Brennan (Red woollen jacket and keffiyeh) and Deaglan Godwin (left, foreground) hold a press conference at the University of Sydney encampment in May. Picture: James Dowling

SRC president Harrison Brennan argued the measures would have a chilling effect not only on pro-Palestine activism, but other campaigns and causes, and would “stifle” other aspects of campus life.

“This is a repulsive full-scale offensive on the right to protest at the University of Sydney,” he said.

University of Sydney SRC president Harrison Brennan at the Gaza solidary encampment in April. Picture: Jeremy Piper

“Despite endless public platitudes detailing how the university ‘respects’ freedom of speech, the Vice-Chancellor has whipped up a policy that will strangle the dissenting voices of students, staff, and the broader community who oppose this university’s ties to apartheid and genocide.”

An earlier policy, the 2009 University of Sydney (Campus Access) Rule, states that: “Any person who, without lawful excuse … enters into University lands without the consent of the University, or who remains on those lands after being requested by a University representative to leave … will have their licence to access those lands terminated.”

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