Pro-Palestine activists enter Melbourne University classrooms, demand support and photograph students

Pro-Palestine activists are entering classes and demanding university students raise their hands over their views on the Israel-Gaza conflict before photographing them, in a divisive move to try to recruit supporters.

Pro-Palestine activists are turning up at University of Melbourne classrooms and photographing students after asking for a show of hands to indicate who agrees with their views on the Israel-Gaza war.

The shocking incidents and others similar have become such a problem within the university’s arts faculty that dean Lesley Stirling emailed staff this week about increasing complaints from students.

“I am writing as a matter of urgency to make you aware we are receiving an increasing number of concerns and reports from students about events occurring in classrooms and other student-facing contexts, pertaining to the Israel-Gaza conflict,” Professor Stirling wrote in the email.

“These are coming from a range of viewpoints.

There have been multiple complaints over recent incidents occurring on campus.

“Many of the students contacting us are very distressed, and both Palestinian and Jewish students have lost family members as a result of the events which have been unfolding since October 7.”

Professor Stirling – who urges teachers to “think carefully” about how and when they express their views on the war – then goes on to outline concerning occasions in which activists have come into classrooms and taken pictures.

The Herald Sun understands this has been done by people with pro-Palestine views.

“Students in arts have been particularly concerned about activists visiting classrooms, asking for a show of hands to indicate agreement with their statements, and then taking photographs of the group,” she wrote.

Some activists have come into the University of Melbourne to take pictures of students.

The dean reiterated that no one was allowed to take pictures in class without express permission from teachers.

One Jewish student said they had stopped going to lectures in person and switched to online learning because of a photographing incident.

“They are coming to speak up before every lecture, inviting students to join their protest,” they said.

“(They then) take pictures of those who are interested and those who are not (and) encourage as many people … to join them before saying that whoever doesn’t support them is supporting genocide.”

A Herald Sun analysis has found university activists have organised dozens of pro-Palestine protests and meetings across Melbourne in the past three months.

Students have also told the Herald Sun they had to spend days peeling off stickers because staff didn’t remove them.

“I feel unsafe at university because of the multitude of anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist posters and stickers that are constantly put up around campus,” one student said.

Jewish students have had to peel off anti-Semitic stickers and posters from walls and poster boards.

A Victoria University student said they were “de-identifying my appearance as Jewish” after their lecturer “actively advertised” political campaigns taking place on university grounds.

Monash University students also expressed concerns about pro-Palestine groups, with photos capturing anti-Semitic stickers, flyers and chalk messages on campus promoting protests.

“There are protests happening around the university, there are big posters on windows with information pushing the pro-Palestine agenda … there are pro-Palestine drawings on whiteboards and more,” a student said.

Anti-Defamation Commission Chairman Dvir Abramovich said the safety of Jewish students must be top priority for tertiary institutions.

“University leaders must ensure that anti-Semitism never finds a shelter on campuses and that it is not open season on Jewish and Israeli students,” he said.

“Students must be warned, on the first day of university, if they engage in any anti-Semitism, hate speech or racial vilification, they will pay a heavy price.”

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin said seeing the blue Star of David struck out and calls to boycott Israel “opened intergenerational wounds”.

Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS) President Noah Loven said it was deeply concerning to see the increase in anti-Semitic and threatening events at the University of Melbourne.

“Jewish students are feeling isolated and intimidated by the lecturers and university staff who allow this threatening behaviour to happen,” he said.

“While the University has engaged with Jewish students in good faith, we must see consistency in the enforcement of the university’s own policies to ensure the safety and security of Jewish students on campus.

“We know if Jewish students are unsafe at university, then no student is.”

Students are being confronted with posters and protests at Monash University, with one flyer calling for students to not go to class.

A University of Melbourne spokeswoman said the institution condemned racism and expected all students, staff, visitors and partners of all faiths to feel welcome and safe on campus.

“Our policies serve to prevent actions or behaviour that adversely affect other members of the university community, while protecting the right of staff and students to protest and engage in other forms of activism providing these do not extend to violence, threat or intimidation,” she said.

“The university has communicated our policies and expectations of behaviour to our 70,000+ students.

“Taking photographs, video or audio recordings of classes without express permission from the supervising staff member and the written permission of any identifiable individuals is a breach of our policy.”

A Victoria University spokeswoman said the university abhors anti-Semitism, violence, racism, and Islamophobia and has a deep responsibility and care for all staff and students.

“This is on every site, at every campus and at every level, online and in person, in every mode of our teaching, research and service,” she said.

“VU is committed to peaceful debate and we have robust policies and procedures enabling staff and students to express their views respectfully.”

A Monash University spokesman acknowledged the incidents some students experienced, adding the university monitors for discriminatory and racist content and is fully committed to providing a safe environment.

“The University has processes in place to ensure that flags, flyers, posters or other materials that are unacceptable or unlawful are removed,” he said.