‘Out of options’: Sydney University Jewish students protest against vice-chancellor Mark Scott

Students from both sides of the ideological spectrum have called for vice-chancellor Mark Scott’s head, as Jewish students fear campuses are unsafe.

University of Sydney student Dror Liraz, 19, at the AUJS protest to sack vice-chancellor Mark Scott. Picture: Britta Campion

Jewish students at the University of Sydney have broken almost a year’s silence on Friday to demand the resignation of their vice-chancellor Mark Scott.

Organised by the Australian Union of Jewish Students, just under 50 protesters marched on Professor Scott’s office at the university’s Camperdown campus, pledging to protest again if student safety and freedom of speech policies are not reformed.

The embattled vice-chancellor has faced criticism from protest groups on both sides of the debate. The AUJS argues he was “rewarding hate speech” by brokering an agreement with the pro-Palestine encampment. And students from the various pro-Palestine protest groups, including the Student Representative Council, have criticised Professor Scott for continuing the university’s ties to Israeli arms manufacturers and education providers.

AUJS vice-president Zac Morris argued “nothing should be out of place” in having Jewish students gather on campus, but that the prior encampment had made such a protest unsafe.

“Throughout history, every rise in anti-Semitism has been ­accompanied by a rise in indifference to anti-Semitism by those best placed to speak up against it, and the latter is just as dangerous, if not more so, than the former,” Mr Morris said.

“Effective leadership requires accountability, but if you can’t acknowledge your own mistakes to yourself, let alone those you are legally accountable to, how can you expect to lead effectively?

“How many times has Mark Scott withheld information that would prejudice him from those he’s accountable to? How many times has he led the university senate to make important decisions on the basis of incomplete information? Mark Scott, you demonstrated through your words, your choices, and most ­importantly your lack of self-­insight and contrition, that you do not appreciate the respons­ibility you hold to oversee your learning community.”

Ninety-four-year-old Holocaust survivor Egon Sonnenschein marches with students. Picture: Britta Campion

Dror Liraz, 19, is a second year student veterinarian who was driven off campus out of fear. Before Friday, few Jewish students at the university had spoken of their personal experience. But Ms Liraz argued the school’s inaction had forced a public response.

“We have kept quiet for the past 11 months. I tried to speak with Mark Scott, I’ve had lots of meetings with his advisers, I’ve spoken to politicians. It’s not that we’ve been silent, but it’s the first time that we’re coming as a ­Jewish Union to say enough is enough,” she said.

“I have witnessed and endured protests that called for the displacement and death of my 87-year old grandmother, a Jewish refugee … who fled lynchings, kidnapping and public hanging.

“This is not free speech, this is repetition of propaganda and the destruction of the essence of a university.”

A University of Sydney spokesperson praised the protesters for holding a rally in line with the institution’s policies.

“We know many people in our community have strongly held views, and the serious and complex divisions seen in broader society regarding the ongoing conflict in the Middle East are also evident on our campus,” the spokesperson said.

“Ensuring the safety of our staff and students is always our top priority and we’ll continue consulting and working with our community on our approach to these critical matters.”