‘It’s very threatening’: Jewish students speak out on Melbourne University encampments
Concerns over “confronting” pro-Palestine protests and a rise in anti-Semitism on campus has prompted several students to leave the uni or delay their course.
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Jewish students at The University of Melbourne are quitting their courses due to heightened anti-Semitism at the Parkville campus, fuelled by the ongoing pro-Palestine encampment.
The Herald Sun can reveal at least 12 Jewish students are feeling “unsafe” and “threatened” on campus by protests, with some transferring to different universities and others delaying their courses.
It comes as pro-Palestine students occupying the Arts West building for the second week have vowed they “will not be moved”, with protesters holding a movie night on Tuesday.
This was despite the university’s threat of imminent police intervention.
The Arts West building continues to be ransacked by protesters, with one activist blatantly shown walking off with an air purifier last week.
On Tuesday, the university said more than more than 16,800 students had their classes disrupted amid ongoing protests.
A 19-year-old student from Elsternwick studying a bachelor of science is moving to RMIT because he said the University of Melbourne “did nothing about anti-Semitism”.
He said a few weeks into this term, a pro-Palestine protester etched “Zio pedo scum” into the side of the Sidney Myer Asia Centre.
“It was the first thing I would see when I got there in the morning and it set the tone for the day. I kept thinking it would be removed, but it never was,” he said. The Herald Sun has sighted a photo of the graffiti.
Ilan Davis, a Jewish first-year arts student, said he was quitting his course, due to the university’s handling of the protests. “It’s confronting,” Mr Davis said. “Especially the Arts West building (protest), it’s very threatening.
“I tried to walk through (the lawn encampment) the other day with a couple of friends, I had an Israeli flag, and they were refusing to talk to us.
A second year arts student told the Herald Sun she was transferring to Monash University amid feeling “unsafe” on campus.
“I am appalled at the way the university has dealt with the encampments,” she said.
“The University of Melbourne has done nothing to stop anti-Semitism. These protesters freely chanted ‘from the river to the sea’ on Friday night.”
The Australasian Union of Jewish Students’ Noah Loven said it was “extremely disappointing” Jewish students were withdrawingfrom the university.
“The university is failing to ensure that all students can learn in a safe and supportive environment,” he said.
Brighton state Liberal MP James Newbury said: “Jewish students are deeply concerned about safety on campus and are reportingthat university staff have advised them not to visit campus and instead attend class online.”
Caulfield state Liberal MP David Southwick said: “When Jewish students are leaving their courses because they don’t feel safe,then it is horrifyingly clear that universities and governments have failed them.”
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said: “It is heartbreaking to hear the accounts of Jewishstudents who are now leaving certain universities, and in some cases the country, due to the rise of vicious antisemitismand the inadequate response to it.”
La Trobe uni protesters pack up camp
Students for Palestine La Trobe have become the second group to tear down its encampment, after the university threatened to discipline protesters with student misconduct.
The group shared to social media on Tuesday afternoon it was “forced” to shut the camp at the Bundoora campus or else students would be penalised for not complying with university orders.
Protesters were first asked on Friday to pack up the tents by Sunday “in the interests of safety, wellbeing and amenity of all campus users and visitors”.
The group chose to disobey this directive and were then threatened with misconduct proceedings by the university.
“On Friday, the uni issued a directive to our peaceful encampment for Palestine to dismantle within 48 hours,” Students for Palestine La Trobe posted to social media.
“Since then they have moved to discipline student activists and are threatening more students. They have also threatened to use security to smash up our peaceful protest camp.”
Pictures taken on Tuesday afternoon show protesters slowly dismantling tents and rolling up tarps which were donated to them, in a move “welcomed” by the university.
“Following our second directive (20 May) to disband the encampment at our Melbourne (Bundoora) campus for health and safety reasons, the protesters have commenced disbanding the encampment. We welcome these developments,” a La Trobe University spokeswoman said.
“We continue to accommodate the right of students and staff to protest peacefully, safely and respectfully but without an encampment.”
The disbandment of the encampment at La Trobe comes four days after protesters at Monash University packed up their camp.
Encampments are still ongoing at the University of Melbourne, RMIT and Deakin University.
Melbourne Uni protesters start petition to stop ‘threats’
Pro-Palestine protesters occupying the Arts West building have started a petition calling on The University of Melbourne not to impose any sanctions against students and staff.
The change.org petition, which has gathered almost 8000 signatures, said the university had advised students could face misconduct, enrolment sanctions and possible termination due to their involvement in the protests.
“This is in addition to the University of Melbourne threatening imminent police action in response to the peaceful sit-in at Mahmoud’s Hall (Arts West Building),” the petition said.
“We, the community, condemn these threats and intimidation made by the University of Melbourne to these brave students and staff, who have been peacefully calling for disclosure and divestment of the University of Melbourne’s ties to weapons manufacturers supplying Israeli Occupation Forces.
“These students face potential failure of their semester and potential expulsion, and yet will still accumulate thousands in HECS debt. This is all because they have stood up to a university that preaches human rights and decolonisation, and yet is involved in a genocidal weapons supply chain.”
Uni protest a ‘no win’ situation, Premier ‘fed up’
The boss of Victoria’s police union says his members will be put in a “no win situation” if they are called in to remove pro-Palestine protesters who have taken over a key building at the University of Melbourne.
Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt said police have “almost certainly been involved behind the scenes” in trying to find a peaceful resolution to the encampment which entered its seventh day on Tuesday.
But he warned police were in an unenviable position and would be criticised no matter what action they took.
“Sadly, you don’t see every effort that is made by police to see the parties satisfied and to try facilitate a peaceful outcome,” he said on 3AW on Tuesday morning.
“But if that is not possible, they will be asked to do their job and sadly, in my opinion, and perhaps a cynical one, the only losers out of that will be police because no matter what decision they take, they are going to have made the wrong one.
“If they use force, they will have been said to have used too much, if they don’t they’ll have been said to have stood back and watched too long.”
Pro-Palestine protesters are occupying the Arts West building at Melbourne University’s Parkville campus, ignoring university directions to leave.
Close to 17,000 students have had their classes disrupted since the sit-in started seven days ago.
If police are called in to remove the protesters, Mr Gatt said a combination of specialist and general duties resources will likely be deployed.
The university has threatened the protesters with expulsion and police intervention but has not yet lodged a formal trespass report with police — a report police say is needed for them to intervene.
Mr Gatt said the use of face coverings by protesters signalled to police they were ready “to use force against police” or “engage in some form of confrontation”.
“That’s disappointing because that’s absolutely the last thing the police officers want,” he said.
Premier ‘fed up’ with pro-Palestine protesters
Premier Jacinta Allan on Tuesday declared she is “fed up” with the “reckless behaviour” of the protesters.
“We need to let the students who want to get back to their learning get back to their learning,” she said.
“I really do think we have reached the point where many Victorians are frustrated or fed up with some of the reckless behaviour we’ve seen.
“I know I certainly am.”
“We should not be seeing violence overseas bring violence to the streets of Melbourne.
“We need calm (and) we need respect.”
Melbourne University vice-chancellor Duncan Maskell on Tuesday said he was “concerned” and “disappointed” that protesters refused to leave the Arts West building.
“We are continuing to communicate with students and staff who require alternative arrangements to be made for classes and work previously scheduled to take place in Arts West,” the university said in a statement.
“The university yesterday began distributing notices inside the Arts West building directing all persons occupying the building to leave the University’s grounds and to remove all personal property from the building.”
‘It’s very threatening’: Jewish student to leave university
Ilan Davis, a Jewish first year arts student, said he will be leaving Melbourne University due to the way the protest has been handled.
“It’s confronting, especially the Arts West building (protest), it’s very threatening,” Mr Davis told the Herald Sun on Tuesday.
“I tried to walk through (the lawn encampment) the other day with a couple of friends, I had an Israeli flag and they were refusing to talk to us.
“They don’t want to engage in dialogue and the campus security told us we have to leave, one side is clearly allowed to say their side and the other one isn’t.”
Mr Davis said it’s important for him to confront the protesters on behalf of other Jewish students who feel threatened by their presence.
“I don’t think anyone should feel scared on campus, I think that’s ridiculous and I think it’s a real failure of the university,” he said.
“I get it, me being here isn’t going to change the minds of people who have been camping here for three weeks.
“But for someone that’s neutral, someone that doesn’t have an understanding of this issue, I think us proudly saying we’re Jewish, we’re proudly Zionist, we’re proudly all of this stuff, hopefully we can have a conversation about that.”
Student protesters threatened with expulsion
A notice issued by the university on Monday ordering protesters to leave warned students risked “suspension or termination of enrolment” if they failed to comply.
Protesters who were not students at the university could be penalised by police for trespassing, it warned.
The notice said the protest had become “increasingly disruptive and unsafe” also warned protesters would have to cover the cost of any damage done.
“The University of Melbourne is committed to being a place where the thoughtful exchange of divergent views may occur in a civil and peaceful manner, and respects the right to freedom of speech and expression and the right to assembly to engage in peaceful protest,” it said.
“However, University grounds must not be used for protest that is not peaceful, for protest in a manner that jeopardises the safety and security of persons using University premises, or unreasonably interferes with core University activities.
“Camping is not allowed on University premises. Occupation of buildings is not permitted.”
On Friday, safety inspectors found emergency exits, fire panel access and fire fighting equipment were obstructed by the encampment.
La Trobe University has warned it will commence misconduct proceedings against students who organised a pro-Palestine encampment at its Bundoora Campus.
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