Xi mockery a step too far at uni anti-China rally

A protester wielding crude signs mocking Xi Jinping was forcibly ejected from a rally at the University of Queensland yesterday.

Masked protesters at the University of Queensland rally yesterday. Picture: AAP.

A protester wielding crude signs that mocked Chinese leader Xi Jinping was forcibly ejected from a rally at the University of Queensland yesterday as police sought to prevent a repeat of scuffles that marred a previous event.

Amid lingering anti-China sentiment, a disparate group of protesters converged on the Great Lawn to air their concerns, albeit in smaller numbers than the 500-plus expected.

There was no obvious pushback from pro-China elements, no debate and no violence, with police only required to issue the one protester with a “move on’’ order as a precaution.

Plainclothes police initially urged the young man to put down his handwritten signs — which claimed Mr Xi was homophobic and gay, kissed his dad on the mouth and “poos his big boy pants” — seemingly worried such slurs might inflame the situation.

The man was not part of the main group of 60 or so protesters addressing the morning crowd, and for some reason faced them, becoming defiant as the police involvement attracted attention.

Less than an hour after the protest began, two officers grabbed the man by the arms and ­escorted him from the area, later giving the 22-year-old an order not to return. He did not resist and a police spokeswoman said no charges had been laid.

In what the university described as a “student-led protest”, supporters of the exiled Falun Gong and Uyghur people, international students and members of the Socialist Alliance, Pirate Party and Greens came together in a loose alliance known as Transparency 4 UQ.

They chanted to free Tibet, and remove Chinese influence from Hong Kong and Taiwan — the flag of Taiwan briefly flew on the main sandstone building, in the only apparent security breach — and called on the university to be transparent about its dealings with China.

Protesters claimed an early win by refusing to assemble in the designated area, instead gathering near a Tiananmen Square memorial plaque, but were unable to convince vice-chancellor Peter Hoj to address them.

The issue closest to home was the university having a China-backed Confucius Institute on campus for much of the past decade. The last agreement for the institute expired in April, with the university yet to decide if it will be renewed, instead reiterating its right to “academic freedom”.

Protester Drew Pavlou had clashed online with opponents since the previous rally and claimed to have received death threats. He also warned of the Chinese consulate bringing ­“facial recognition cameras” to yesterday’s event, prompting some protesters — some international students, some Australians — to wear masks.