Sydney pro-Palestine university movement gathers momentum with Wollongong satellite camp

So-called “solidarity camps” have now spread beyond the sandstone walls of The University of Sydney, with pro-Palestine student activists establishing a satellite campsite in Wollongong, and high school students joining a CBD protest on Thursday.

So-called “solidarity camps” have now spread beyond the sandstone walls of The University of Sydney, with pro-Palestine student activists establishing a satellite campsite in Wollongong.

Several tents were pitched in the heart of The University of Wollongong’s main campus on Wednesday, following “a really successful launch rally” of around 100 staff and students, organisers claimed on social media.

The Wollongong contingent is demanding their university “disclose military and research ties with Israel” and end its relationship with Jerusalem’s Hebrew University, echoing the demands of their well-resourced counterparts in Sydney.

A university spokesman confirmed the camp would be closely monitored “to ensure a safe space is maintained” but the administration would respect students’ right to peaceful protest.

“UOW continues to be deeply concerned about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the profound loss of life,” he said.

Pro-Palestine encampments have spread beyond the University of Sydney, with Wollongong university students setting up their a satellite camp. Picture: Instagram

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin said the new campsite proves local activists are “replicating the tactics now paralysing the US higher education system”, intent on spreading everywhere that are allowed to do so.

“These encampments affect access and enjoyment of public spaces and … intimidate Jewish students and academics,” he said.

“Students who pay fees and come to learn are owed more than this.

“Taxpayers are owed more than this.”

The establishment of NSW’s second encampment comes as activists across the state stage a “student strike for Palestine”, urging students – including school-aged children – to walk out of class and attend local rallies.
On Thursday, a crowd of about 200 university students marched from the University of Sydney down Broadway to the University of Technology, where around 50 UTS and high school students had gathered on the street.

Students rally outside UTS during school hours.

Inner west Year 12 students Milla Jocys, Cody Shapirl and Brigitte Raftery were among the dozen or so young protesters in attendance wearing school uniforms.

Despite abandoning their classrooms to join the rally, 17-year-old Milla said she and her friends largely had the support of her teachers.

“Our school kind of supports us on the sidelines but we’re not allowed to talk about what school we’re from because it doesn’t represent what our school is trying to achieve,” she said.

“But my parents support me, and you’ve got to support equality and human rights, no matter what it regards.”

Addressing the crowd, Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi reiterated the controversial slogan “from the river to the sea” and slammed the “piss-weak statements and superficial concerns” of the Albanese government, whom she accused of being “complicit in genocide”.

“Now the VCs of universities have joined the same ranks of heartless, gutless cowards, and shame on them,” she said.
“Prime Minister Albanese thinks that we will go away, that we will forget, that we will give up. I know that you will never give up. I will never give up.”

On their return to their home campus the protesters “stormed” Broadway Shopping Centre, filming themselves racing up escalators and crowding around travelators with unwitting shoppers caught up in the rally.

Earlier the ‘Students for Palestine’ assembled at The University of Sydney to chant “shame” in response to Vice-Chancellor Mark Scott, who has joined other major Australian universities in seeking advice from Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus about the legality of cracking down on those calling for an “intifada”.

The protest camp at The University of Sydney has been going for two weeks strong. Picture: Ayush Kumar / AFP

In a letter to the Attorney-General, Education Minister Jason Clare and federal Department of Education Secretary Tony Cook, Professor Scott and University of Adelaide Vice-Chancellor Peter Høj requested “authoritative advice” from the Commonwealth “as to whether the particular phrases “from the river to the sea” and “intifada” contravene Federal law”.

“To date no Australian court or relevant authority has made a determination on these phrases that would allow a university to follow precedent in dealing with their use on campuses,” the pair wrote.

“Group of Eight universities acknowledge that these phrases are deeply offensive to many in the Jewish community.”

The Vice-Chancellors also acknowledged that protest camps on their campuses have “caused deep distress to many in the Australian community, particularly our Jewish students and staff”.

In his response the Attorney-General declined to provide specific advice about the phrases and instead referred university leaders to Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, “which makes it a civil offence to do a public act that is reasonably likely to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate people because of their race colour or national or ethnic origins”.

Shadow education spokeswoman Senator Sarah Henderson announced the opposition would move to establish a Senate inquiry into anti-Semitism on university campuses next week, to “provide students and staff with an important voice” and examine possible legislative changes to crack down on hate.

“Failure to enforce university guidelines not only creates an unsafe environment for learning but fuels hate speech, and potential violence,” Senator Henderson said.

“Allowing the establishment of encampments opens the floodgates to around-the-clock occupation by extremist protesters, including those who have no connection with a university.”

The Zionist Federation of Australia has backed calls for an inquiry, with president Jeremy Leibler describing the current state of Australian universities as “untenable”.

“For months students have experienced escalating hate speech, harassment, intimidation, and radical non-student activists on campuses with little to no intervention,” CEO Alon Cassuto added.

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