Pro-Palestine student activists at La Trobe, Monash unis walk away with warnings post encampments

Students involved in pro-Palestine encampments at two Melbourne universities have avoided expulsion, despite occupying main thoroughfares and causing Jewish community members to fear for their safety.

Students involved in pro-Palestine encampments at two Melbourne universities last month have walked away with warnings, despite occupying main thoroughfares and causing Jewish members of the community to fear for their safety.

Activists took to social media to celebrate their “win”, after almost a dozen students from Monash and La Trobe universities received the outcomes of their academic misconduct notices.

The Herald Sun reported in June that several students had been threatened with suspensions and expulsions for disobeying orders to pack up their camp as well as incidents stemming from protest activity on campus.

But protest group Students for Palestine Monash revealed on Friday that the nine students from Monash University’s Clayton Campus who were issued with notices, were only penalised with warnings.

“We have excellent news in our campaign against student discipline, the Monash nine have won!,” one activist said in a post to Instagram.

“We stood our ground and showed we won’t be intimidated by Monash. The university doesn’t have the confidence or the right to attack Palestine activism and freedom of speech.

Monash students camped on the Clayton campus’ Lemon Scented Lawns for several weeks last month. Picture: Brendan Beckett

A Monash University spokeswoman said the university took into account the need to protect its community and the personal circumstances of students when determining the outcomes.

“Monash students are free to protest regarding matters and issues that are important to them, within the constraints imposed by law and under the University’s Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom Policy,” she said.

“The University does not take disciplinary action against students engaged in peaceful protest. “However, these rights are not without limit and come with the responsibility to ensure that exercising the rights of free speech and peaceful protest do not cause harm to others or seek to limit the rights of others to express themselves, even where there is deep disagreement.”

The spokeswoman added the university does not tolerate behaviour that is contrary to its policies, with more information about student general misconduct available online.

Students involved in the encampment at La Trobe University’s Bundoora campus also reportedly had their “charges” dropped, according to the university’s Student Union Social Justice officer Alicia Griffiths.

“(Over) the last six weeks, university management has been threatening student activists and organisers with academic discipline, suspension and expulsion for our involvement in the Gaza solidarity encampment for peacefully protesting our university’s ties to genocide,” Ms Griffiths said.

“Students have been charged with failing to pack up the camp at the request of the university. This is a massive attack on freedom of speech at our campuses.

“La Trobe students have now won their case against the university.”

Students at La Trobe and Monash University have learned their fate after being issued with academic misconduct notices. Picture: NewsWire / Diego Fedele

A La Trobe University spokeswoman said “students have received an appropriate outcome”.

“La Trobe can confirm that the university has concluded the General Misconduct process that was undertaken as per our policies,” she said.

“We are not able to comment further on the matter to protect privacy of the students involved.”

Meanwhile, the University of Melbourne will hold misconduct hearings in relation to the encampment that was set up at its Parkville campus, from Wednesday.

It comes after dozens of Pro-Palestine protesters occupied the Arts West Building for 10 days last month and refused to leave until the university met their demands.

But the hearings won’t go unnoticed with activists planning a rally “to send a clear message to the university that we will not be intimidated into silence”.

“In yet another attack on the right to protest, Melbourne University has emailed ‘general misconduct’ notices to at least 19 anti-genocide, pro-Palestine student protesters,” UniMelb for Palestine said last week on Instagram.

Some student activists at the University of Melbourne will face academic misconduct hearings from Wednesday. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

The group later called on all staff, students and community members to rally outside the first general misconduct hearing, before leaking an email with the new location of the hearings.

University of Melbourne Provost professor Nicola Phillips said “freedom of speech is foundational to our values and policies at the University of Melbourne”.

“We have consistently stated that we recognise the right of students and staff to participate in peaceful protest,” she said.

A University of Melbourne spokesman added: “The University is currently progressing a range of matters in relation to student conduct”.

“We will not be commenting on individual matters, in line with our confidentiality requirements and our commitment to procedural fairness under University policy.

“The University is in direct communication with individuals as required in relation to these matters.”

Originally published as Pro-Palestine student activists at La Trobe, Monash unis walk away with warnings post encampments