Macquarie University sets up safe room for Jewish students

A university in Sydney has set up a high-security ‘safe room’ for Jewish students after some reported feeling at risk due to anti-Semitism on campus.

Macquarie University vice-chancellor Bruce Dowton. Picture: Jane Dempster

A university in Sydney has set up a high-security “safe room” for Jewish students after some reported feeling at risk due to anti-Semitism on campus.

Macquarie University vice-chancellor Bruce Dowton revealed the new “safe space” for Jewish students had opened for those feeling unsafe at the uni’s campus at Macquarie Park, The Daily Telegraph reported on Tuesday night.

The new safe room, which can only be accessed by students using a swipe card, was established in response to a spike in anti-Semitic incidents at the university and pro-Palestine protests at the campus in Sydney's northern suburbs.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said on Tuesday that students needed to be protected from anti-Semitic behaviour.

“People have come from around the world – from different races and religions – because we are a peaceful, tolerant country that has been free of this kind of racial or religious division and ancient hatreds, and we can’t bend on this principle,” Mr Minns said.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin told The Daily Telegraph that “every inch of every campus must be safe for Jewish students”.

“Universities have a legal obligation to ensure that Jewish students can study and engage in all aspects of campus life in peace and security,” Mr Ryvchin said.

“It is commonplace for student clubs and associations to be ­allocated spaces for meetings, but when students feel they need a sanctuary to escape their tormentors, that should shock us all.”

The Telegraph reported that the University of Sydney was also understood to be operating a dedicated space for Jewish students.

The Macquarie University safe room was reportedly requested by the NSW branch of the Australasian Union of Jewish Students in response to students feeling unsafe at the campus, leading to some skipping lectures or hiding their religious identities.

But Australian Jewish Association chief executive Robert ­Gregory told The Telegraph the answer to anti-Semitism was “not for Jewish students to be tucked away in safe spaces”.

“Isolating the Jewish students in safe rooms away from the other students may in fact make them sitting ducks and the target of further bullying,” he said.

Macquarie University declined to comment on concerns about the safe room.

The revelations came as the NSW government on Tuesday tabled in ­parliament new proposed offences it hopes will deter and punish anti-Semites. The proposals include amendments to the Crimes Act to outlaw harassing, threatening or intentionally blocking people attending or leaving a place of worship, punishable with up to two years’ imprisonment.

The Minns government also would expand the definition of vandalism, making it a “public act” when such activity sought to incite violence – or included Nazi symbols – and introduce “hatred” as an aggravating factor in sentencing, alongside tougher sentences for vandalising Jewish centres with the Nazi symbol.

“(The laws would) send a message that if you’re going to get involved in this kind of bastardry the police will track you down – they will find you – and you will be punished,” Mr Minns said.

Reforms to criminalise “inciting racial hatred” were being finalised and would include a maximum two-year custodial sentence, complementing existing protections that outlawed “inciting or threatening violence” on protected minorities.