Indigenous academic Chelsea Watego invokes ‘Black Lives Matter’ in racism row

The Indigenous academic who invited anti-Israel activists as keynote speakers at a racism symposium that mocked ‘Dutton’s Jew’ has likened the public backlash to a ‘Black Lives Matter’ moment.

QUT professor Chelsea Watego.

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The Indigenous academic who invited anti-Israel activists as keynote speakers at a racism symposium that mocked “Dutton’s Jew” has likened the public backlash to a “Black Lives Matter’’ moment.

A new recording has emerged of conference organiser Chelsea Watego leading a chant of “shame’’ against a Jewish academic at the conference, hosted by the Queensland University of Technology’s Carumba Institute in Brisbane on Friday.

Another female voice in the audience shouted “Punch him in the throat’’ – referring to a presentation slide shown at the conference with the slogan “throat punch a racist’’.

In a remark that triggered laughter from the audience, Professor Watego responded: “No we won’t because I’ll be accused of promoting violence.

“I wanted to say there’s more to come. I want you to be strengthened by the violence that is being visited upon us in holding this event. How can you do anti-racist work if you haven’t got racists coming for you?

“I know there’s going to be a whole lot of investigations and a whole lot of meetings that are to come from this involving some of the individuals and of course myself. It’s not my first rodeo, let me just say that, so bring it on.’’

Professor Watego – executive director of QUT’s Carumba Institute and Professor of Indigenous Health at QUT’s School of Public Health and Social Work – told her audience that “in creating a safe space we’ve had to deal with individuals vilifying us for existing, for speaking of racism’’.

“What a Black Lives Matter moment we’re having now, where people of colour go to speak of racism we have been accused of platforming hate speech,’’ she said.

Professor Watego said the leaking of a controversial slide show featuring a superhero character dubbed “Dutton’s Jew” had “put every person here at risk’’ because two journalists were sitting outside waiting to interview attendees.

“Shame on you,’’ she said. The audience repeated, “Shame, shame.’’

Jewish academic Yoni Nazarathy, an associate professor of artificial intelligence from the University of Queensland, later told The Australian he had felt singled out, unsafe and humiliated as attendees rose to their feet and chanted “shame’’ while he remained seated.

A keynote speaker at the closed-door conference was Macquarie University academic Randa Abdel-Fattah, who has publicly wished for 2025 to “be the end of Israel’’. Dr Abdel-Fattah changed her Facebook profile photo to an image of a Palestinian paratrooper just days after Hamas terrorists raided Israel to slaughter, rape or kidnap more than 1200 Jewish civilians in October 2023.

The taxpayer-funded Australian Research Council has given Dr Abdel-Fattah a $870,269 research grant.

QUT vice-chancellor Margaret Sheil has apologised and ordered an independent review of the anti-racism conference. Picture: Anthony Weate

QUT vice-chancellor Margaret Sheil apologised on Friday for the “hurt and offence’’ caused by the National Symposium on Unifying Anti-Racist Research and Action. The apology was issued hours after federal Education Minister Jason Clare phoned Professor Sheil to remind her of the university’s need to enforce its code of conduct and prevent anti-Semitism.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has criticised the “Dutton’s Jew” segment as “divisive rubbish’’.

Professor Sheil now faces a grilling from Queensland Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek next week.

Professor Watego did not respond to a request for comment.