University of Sydney student socialists Maeve Larkins and Angus Dermody suspended over pro-Palestine protests

Two students involved in a banned ‘global intifada’ event at the University of Sydney have been named among pro-Palestine activists disciplined by the uni amid ongoing campus protests.

Two students at the University of Sydney have been named among pro-Palestine activists handed suspensions by the university for disrupting classes with “announcements” about the ongoing campus protests.

Socialists Maeve Larkins and Angus Dermody have each been handed one-month suspensions, effective immediately, their Student Representative Council revealed.

In an open letter co-signed by fellow activist groups – including the USYD Education Action Group, Students Against War, the Autonomous Collective Against Racism, BDS Youth collective and Students for Palestine – the university’s SRC called for the suspensions to be “immediately revoked” and for “subsequent disciplinary proceedings against Angus and Maeve (to) be immediately dropped”.

Larkins and Dermody are members of self-described socialist group Solidarity Students, the organisation behind a banned event ‘making the case for a global intifada’ that was blocked by the university in November last year.

Dermody also participated in an illegal blockade of Port Botany in March in which 19 people were arrested trying to prevent an Israeli container ship from docking.

Student protester Maeve Larkins. Picture: Facebook

Student protester Angus Dermody. Picture: Facebook

The SRC claimed disciplinary action against the pair is an “attempt to silence students” and an “attack on free speech”, and that the two students involved were simply making “announcements” that are a “routine part of campus life”.

“Such announcements before classes begin do not seriously disrupt teaching activities, and usually finish before staff are ready to begin the class,” the statement read.

A poster calling for a "global intifada" at the University of Sydney.

The pro-Palestine tent camp at the University of Sydney. Picture: Richard Dobson

A spokesperson for the university confirmed two students had been temporarily suspended “following disruptions to classes last week”.

“We continue to be very clear about our expectations of behaviour on our campus, writing to students and staff again last week about acceptable and unacceptable conduct,” they said.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim welcomed the suspensions, but said they are “far too little, and come far too late” as university buildings are sent into lockdown with few consequences.

“The University has been too timid to use its powers to order external demonstrators to leave its grounds,” he said.

One of several protests against Israeli container ships docking at Port Botany since the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war. Picture: David Gray / AFP

“This has emboldened the protesters and made the situation progressively worse.”

It comes two days after activists tracked down and harassed Vice-Chancellor Mark Scott on a street near the university, telling him he had “blood on his hands” and is “complicit in genocide” in videos of the confrontation shared on social media.

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