Pro-Palestinian activists stage blockade outside a University of Melbourne building

Pro-Palestinian protesters say they ‘will continue to protest’ following their blockade of a University of Melbourne building on Monday.

Pro-Palestinian activists block access to a University of Melbourne building. Picture: Matt Hrkac

A group of pro-Palestinians activists have staged a blockade outside a University of Melbourne building on Swanston Street on Monday morning and those involved in the action say they will “continue to protest” as long as the “genocide in Gaza” continues.

The group of about 30 protesters donned keffiyehs, traditional Palestinian scarfs, outside the ‘Melbourne Connect’ building while holding Palestinian flags and signs reading “Stop arming Israel. Free Palestine” and “Uni Melb disconnect from the war machine”.

In a statement, a University of Melbourne spokesperson said “a small group of protesters exercised their right to freedom of speech outside Melbourne Connect this morning. The group dispersed midmorning without incident”.

Activists block access to a Melbourne University building. Picture: Instagram

Former staff member and student of the University of Melbourne, who is working as the protest groups media liaison and wishes to remain anonymous said the group has a “shared commitment to Palestinian liberation”.

“We came together as a gathering of students, staff and concerned members of the community … with a shared commitment to Palestinian liberation,” she said.

“As the genocide in Gaza continues we will continue to protest and we invite everyone to join”.

Police attended the incident at about 7:30 in the morning before moving the group on and said “no arrests” were made and “no one was injured during the incident”.

Staff acted swiftly to remove a sticker with a star Star of David with a red cross through the middle stuck on the building’s door and cleaners could also be seen washing chalk off the building floor, where protesters had written “Free Palestine”.

Activists block access to a Melbourne University building. Picture: Instagram

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said the protesters are “blind” to the suffering of Australia’s Jewish community.

“There are individuals on campus so hateful and fanatical that they want to turn their universities into hostile places for Jewish Australians,” Mr Rychvin said.

“This is extraordinary given the hypersensitivity to all forms of discrimination and hatred on Australian campuses. The fact that these sorts of protests are happening in the wake of the greatest atrocities inflicted on Jews since the Holocaust reveals much about the motives of the protesters.

Pro-Palestinian activists block access to a University of Melbourne building. Picture: Matt Hrkac

“They aren’t concerned for peace or justice, they are driven by an extreme political agenda that makes them blind to the crimes of Hamas and the suffering of our community.”

An Instagram story post by unimelbforpalestine said “students, staff and community members blockaded” the building to call “for an end to the Israeli regime’s occupation and genocide in Palestine”.

The action was not a part of the unimelbforpalestine group but rather an “independent” demonstration, one protesters said.

The protest comes after Melbourne University students were encouraged to wear keffiyehs to there graduation ceremonies this week by the unimelbforpalestine group.

A university spokesperson confirmed on Sunday that since last Thursday, of the nearly 2000 students who have attended graduation ceremonies “four students have worn a keffiyeh under their gown to the ceremony”.