Pro-Palestine student activists refuse to budge on building occupation after failed meeting with University of Melbourne executives

A meeting between University of Melbourne executives and student activists on Friday has failed to resolve an impasse, as protesters threaten to continue their occupation of a university building.

Pro-Palestinian protesters continued to occupy parts of the University of Melbourne on Friday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

A meeting between University of Melbourne executives and student activists on Friday has failed to resolve an impasse, as protesters threaten to continue their occupation of a university building over the weekend and indefinitely.

Students said it would be in the university’s power to “replicate” scenes of brutality seen at campuses in the United States.

But acting provost Pip Nicholson said the protesters sitting-in at the Parkville campus’ Arts West building had no doubt underestimated their “intimidatory impact” on the university community.

The group are demanding the university cut ties with weapons manufacturers, and say they will not leave the building until this is achieved.

“We have been explicitly told that they will not divest and cut ties with weapon manufacturers,” Dana, a spokesperson for Uni Melb 4 Palestine, said.

“They have made it clear that Australia’s national defence interests are the interests of the university, not the human rights of people in Gaza, in Palestine, and around the world.”

She added that it was the university’s decision if they wanted to escalate the situation and become the first Australian campus to have scenes comparable to those in the US.

“It’s in the university’s power, it’s the university’s decision to replicate the scenes of police brutality that we have seen at Columbia and UCLA here,” she said.

In her letter to staff and the university community, Professor Nicholson wrote that the university continues to meet in good faith with student representatives.

A Pro-Palestine protester on Thursday. Picture: David Crosling

She said that staff and students must carry their ID cards to access buildings given the presence of external actors on campus.

The so-far three-day takeover of the building also pushed the university to put up regulation notices around campus to inform members of the public that they were banned from protesting on their grounds.

University vice-chancellor Duncan Maskell authorised the notice, which ended by warning external activists that they would be trespassing and may be referred to police if they staged a protest on campus.

Since Wednesday, the protest has impacted 8300 students and has forced 247 classes to be rescheduled.

Police are aware of the situation, but have not been called in to intervene or remove protesters and say they are “well equipped to respond to any public order issues if required”.

The threats of their presence have not deterred students either, who plan to remain in the building, or outsider activists, as Unionists for Palestine vowed to “defy any law” that seeks to divide the pro-Palestine movement.

“Monash and Melbourne University are both trying to criminalise workers & community from supporting the student encampments & their demands to divest & disclose,” the group wrote on social media.

“We will defy any law that tries to divide our movement to liberate Palestine!”

The university say they have increased its own security on campus, and that their teams have a longstanding relationship with police.

Victorian Liberal MP David Southwick visited the University of Melbourne campus to give a press conference which was gate crashed by a man, whose face was partially covered, holding a sign behind him that read “the Nakba never ended, the coloniser lied”, and another person interrupting him.

“The fact I’m standing here right now and I have this guy with his face (with a) mask covered who effectively gatecrashed a press conference here against me, I don’t feel terribly safe,” he said.

Opposition Education spokeswoman Sarah Henderson told The Weekend Australian that some universities have started to step up on their handling of on-campus protests but singled out the University of Melbourne and the University of Sydney and said both had “grossly mismanaged these protests”.

“The police must be brought in to restore law and order and anyone involved in a potential crime must be referred to the police without exception,” she said.

“Every single incident of harassment, intimidation and discrimination must be investigated by the university, and responsible students and staff must face the most serious consequences.

“Protesters who are not staff or students must immediately be arrested for trespass.”

She said the Coalition will provide “moral and political leadership” that makes clear that the law should be enforced readily, not reluctantly.

Victorian opposition tertiary education spokeswoman Bridget Vallence called the indefinite sit-in a “disgrace” and said that protesters should be removed immediately.

“Their actions are totally unacceptable and are now engaging in criminal trespass,” she told this madhead.

“The right to protest does not allow people to occupy buildings and cause over 150 classes to be cancelled or sing chats of hatred and religious vilification. ”

A federal department of education spokesperson said that universities must fulfil their obligations under the Higher Education Standards Framework do maintain an environment where freedom of speech and academic freedom are upheld and protected, and which fosters the safety and wellbeing of all students and staff.

“The Australian Government has been clear that there is no place for antisemitism or any form of racism in our universities or anywhere else,” the spokesperson told this masthead.

“The regulator of higher education, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) has established a Regulatory Response Group to lead and co-ordinate its response to protest activities related to the conflict.”

A Victorian government spokesperson has called for calm on campuses and said universities should “never be a place of anti-Semitism”.

“We acknowledge Victoria’s universities are doing all they can, working closely with police, to keep our campuses safe and inclusive,” they said.

Amnesty International Australia urged universities to protect and support students’ rights to a peaceful and safe protest on campus.

Occupied Palestinian Territories spokesperson Mohamed Duar said that universities should be spaces for open debate and academic freedom.

“Gaza Solidarity encampments situated on university campuses are peaceful, and must be protected, safeguarded, and embraced,” he said.

“Students have every right to protest how their tuition fees are allocated, and universities should respect and support these expressions of freedom of expression.”