Pro-Palestine crowds rally at Uni of Melb as disciplinary hearings begin
“Outraged” pro-Palestine supporters have blocked traffic outside The University of Melbourne, saying they “won’t be silenced” as they protest against disciplinary hearings over last month’s encampment.
Education
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Dozens of pro-Palestine supporters have rallied at The University of Melbourne’s Parkville campus in protest against the institution’s decision to hold disciplinary hearings for those involved in the encampment and sit-in last month.
Students, teachers and supporters wore keffiyehs and held Palestinian flags as they crowded on Grattan St on Wednesday morning.
The rally comes as the University of Melbourne started its first day of academic misconduct meetings for students and staff involved in protest activities last month.
Activists took over the Arts West Building for 10 days in a bid to convince the university to “disclose and divest” its ties with Israeli and weapon manufacturing companies.
After a short speech, the group started their march from the university to Barry St where the hearings were taking place.
The University of Melbourne has reportedly issued more than 20 misconduct allegations to students who participated in the sit-in at the Arts West Building, according to UniMelb for Palestine.
The group chanted “intifada” and “from the river to the sea” as they crossed roads, blocking traffic.
“We are the students. We won’t be silenced, cut the ties now, now, now,” they said.
The crowd grew in size as protesters continued their journey to Barry St, with about 100 activists participating in the rally.
Victoria Police in Highway Patrol vehicles monitored the crowd as they marched.
A group of security guards monitored the Business Services building — where the hearings are reportedly taking place — upon the arrival of protesters.
Members of the rally taped a sign promoting their petition to the building, which called on the university to drop disciplinary action against the students issued with academic misconduct notices.
“University of Melbourne, over 20,000 people say the sanctions against pro-Palestine students. Why won’t you listen?” The poster said.
The names of those who signed the petition were then plastered near the poster.
“You take one of us on, you take all of us on,” activists chanted outside the Business building.
The students were supported by the National Tertiary Education Union as well as some members from the University’s student union.
“We are outraged, the student union is outraged,” one speaker said.
One Jewish student, Zara, who will have her hearing on Thursday, addressed the crowd as a pro-Palestine supporter.
“While we risk the possibility of no longer attending this university because we may get expelled, there are people like Mahmoud who cannot attend this university because they have been killed,” she said.
“I’m not going to shut up about the genocide because I heard my grandma talk about the Holocaust.
“We should have learned a lesson from the Holocaust and never committed a genocide again.”
UniMelb for Palestine organiser Dana Alshaer spoke at the rally after having her misconduct hearing earlier on Wednesday morning.
“It feels absolutely dystopian that we are standing here facing baseless student misconduct allegations while the latest reports are saying that more than 186,000 Palestinians have been killed in the past nine months,” she said.
“We are being punished. It’s not because of the sit-in … we’re being outshined because we got Australia’s richest … institution to bow down and give their disclosure.”
Ms Alshaer described the misconduct hearings as “political intimidations and scare tactics”.
“(The allegations) are baseless … they are so dehumanising, they should be a black page in the university’s history,” she said.
As the rally concluded, students facing misconduct hearings addressed the crowd of supporters.
Fourteen students gathered before raising their fists in “solidarity”.
“It is an honour to be disciplined for Palestine,” one speaker said.
“If they expel or suspend every one of us, 100 more will take our place and continue the struggle.”
By midday, the crowd surrounding the Business Services building dramatically reduced to about 10 supporters who continued to wave Palestine flags and wear their keffiyehs.
The group said they would continue to host small activities, including “teach-ins” — where they talk about the events happening in Gaza — outside the building, until all hearings were finished.
The hearings are set to continue until Friday, however it’s understood students won’t learn their fate for another few days.
Students were overheard discussing whether they would receive a “warning, suspension or expulsion” as a result of their behaviour during the sit-in.
Meanwhile, a strong security presence continued to guard the building with one guard checking off a sheet of paper each time a student entered.
Students outside chanted the names of those entering the building and waved Palestine flags each time a student was called in for their hearing.
Staff were warned last week the building would be closed for the academic misconduct hearings on Wednesday and were advised to work from home.
“If you are not able to work from home, we are arranging for alternative work stations on campus,” an email to staff said.
University of Melbourne provost Nicola Phillips said freedom of speech was foundational to the institution’s values and policies.
“We have consistently stated that we recognise the right of students and staff to participate in peaceful protest,” she said
Meanwhile, a University of Melbourne spokeswoman said the institution would not be commenting on individual matters in line with its policies
“The university is in direct communication with individuals as required in relation to these matters,” she said.
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