Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan joins call to end university pro-Palestine camps

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has declared she is fed up with the ‘reckless behaviour’ of pro-Palestine protesters, as the student sit-in at the University of Melbourne approaches a full week.

Security officers and pro-Palestine student protesters at Melbourne University’s occupied Arts West building on Tuesday. Picture: Mark Stewart

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has declared she is fed up with the “reckless behaviour” of pro-Palestine protesters, as the student sit-in at the University of Melbourne approaches a full week.

Meanwhile, pro-Palestine student forces around the country are facing an uphill climb as a fast-­approaching semester break and exams pose challenges for encampments that have heightened tension on university campuses during the past few weeks.

Students at the University of Melbourne have occupied the Parkville campus’s Arts West building since last Wednesday, and despite warnings of police action and expulsion for the past six days, the academic institution has failed to make good on its threats.

Politicians and Jewish leaders have called for the “rule of law” to be enforced, but the Premier said that she has full confidence in the universities, which are trying to ­resolve the situation with police.

“I really do think we have reached the point … where many Victorians are frustrated, are fed up with some of the reckless behaviour we have seen,” Ms Allan said on Tuesday. “I know I certainly am,” she said.

The university said 601 classes had been disrupted, with 16,800 students impacted as a result of the pro-Palestine protesters’ occupation of the building.

Elsewhere, encampment protests at a number of universities have either been dismantled or are expected to be dismantled soon as semester break and exams sap life from encampments, compounding pressure from various quarters.

At Deakin University, protesters have repeatedly defied university directions since last week to shut down their encampment, but finally look to be acquiescing to the reality of semester break. On Thursday, they will hold a “closing rally” ahead of the end of trimester on Friday. On promotional material on social media, they pledged that “this is not the end” and urged students to stay engaged during the break.

At Monash University, the encampment protest was dismantled last week but management and protesters disagree on why that happened. The university says protesters chose to take down the encampment and asked the university to help, but protesters have taken to social media to say that the university took down the tents against their wishes. Nonetheless, the protesters have not tried to rebuild the camp.

La Trobe University protesters on Tuesday caved to threats of disciplinary action by the university and took down their encampment after initially defying orders.

And at the Australian National University, the seven students directed not to spend nights at the encampment are understood to have complied with university direction. The encampment, however, continues, although organiser Nick Reich said the end of semester on Friday did raise questions about the immediate future.

“It’s a question of whether we do pack up and pursue other tactics for the time being and then come back next semester, or if there’s enough committed people who can stick it out over the course of the break,” he said.

The University of Queensland has previously signalled its intention to end the encampment protest on its campus soon.

Encampment protests at other universities still continue, including at the University of Sydney, University of Adelaide, and Curtin University.

Additional reporting: Jordan McCarthy