Students face expulsion over uni Palestine encampments
University of Melbourne students say they face expulsion after taking part in campus pro-Palestine encampments.
Signage for University of Melbourne‘s Arts West building is seen with ‘Mahmoud Hall’ written on the sign outside of the building where Pro-Palestine demonstrators have taken over at the University of Melbourne in Melbourne, Thursday, May 16, 2024
Several protesters have been issued misconduct notices by the university for their part in occupying a building on the Parkville campus.
More than 100 students occupied the university’s Arts West building for a week in May, prompting a backlash from administrators.
This came in addition to a weeks-long encampment on a nearby lawn where students pitched tents and staged daily sit-ins.
An online petition by student group Unimelb for Palestine has garnered almost 15,000 signatures and was updated to detail the latest disciplinary action.
“We’ve just got news that around 20 pro-Palestinian students involved in peaceful protests on campus have been issued with general misconduct notices via email,” the update read.
“This is an outrageous attack on students’ right to protest.”
A University of Melbourne spokesperson said officials are “in direct communication” with students impacted.
“The university is currently progressing a range of matters in relation to student conduct,” they said.
“The university will not comment on individual matters, in line with our confidentiality requirements and our commitment to procedural fairness under university policy.”
At the time of the protests, the university said it would start misconduct proceedings against students for failing to comply with an earlier order to move on.
Monash University protesters have claimed nine organisers are accused of misconduct and threatened with suspension or expulsion.
They say the allegations relate to non-violently defending the pro-Palestine encampment against pro-Israel activists.
Monash has previously said it was investigating complaints about students’ misconduct and issued a number of formal notices.
Pro-Palestine camps were set up at five universities in Victoria and one in every other state and the ACT across April and May.
Each of the student groups vowed not to move until their institutions cut ties with Israel and associated weapons manufacturers, in protests mirroring others involving students across the world.
The University of Melbourne eventually agreed to disclose its ties to weapons companies, which triggered an end to the encampments.
More than 15,000 students in 474 classes were affected by the Arts West protest and alternative arrangements had to be made due to the building’s closure.
AAP
