Multiple students face expulsion and police referral over behaviour at pro-Palestinian encampments at the Australian National University (ANU).
Pro-Palestinian activists at the university have held a series of protests since the Israel-Hamas war broke out on Oct. 7, including setting up Gaza solidarity camps on the lawns.
Four students have been referred to police amid protest activity due to the Middle East conflict and two have been expelled under their policies.
Vice-Chancellor Genevieve Bell appeared at Senate Estimates to answer questions about encampment protests amid the conflict in the Middle East.
She noted there had been instances where students had behaved in ways that were “not acceptable,” adding “when this has happened we have taken appropriate action.”
“Five of those have had decisions rendered, two of those include exclusions from our campus but I can’t comment on individual cases,” she said.
“Ten cases have flowed through our disciplinary proceedings since October of last year, we have had five of them reach a resolution and five are in process.”
Students have a right to make an appeal about these disciplinary proceedings. However, exclusions are based on significant violations of the code of conduct.
Additionally, four separate incidents have been referred to police on the basis that they “constituted or at least could be seen as being violations of various forms of Australian law and we thought that the AFP should see them,” Ms. Bell said.
In a statement to The Epoch Times, ANU said it can confirm the disciplinary inquiries under way are for “alleged behaviour or speech.”
“ANU takes these matters seriously and provides procedural fairness and support for all students. If our codes of conduct, student discipline rule, or values as a community are found to have been breached, appropriate action will be taken by ANU,” a spokesperson said.
“All staff and students are free to express themselves and protest in line with the university’s academic freedom and freedom of speech policies. With these rights come responsibilities.
“As members of the ANU community, we uphold our core values including safety and wellbeing, inclusion, and accountability.”
During the period of protest activity amid the Middle East conflict, Ms. Bell told the Senate Estimates the ANU has acknowledged the rights of academic freedom and freedom of speech under university policy.
“This policy is informed by the model code developed by the sector in 2019 following the French review of free speech in higher education,” she told Senate Estimates.
Pro-Palestine Camps at the ANU Still Remain On Campus
In late May, pro-Palestinian activists at the ANU were forced to move their Gaza solidarity encampments after police provided them with a deadline.The encampment at ANU was one of more than 100 across the globe demanding universities divest from any companies linked to Israel amid the Middle East War.
At the time, the university said it had provided options for protestors to continue in ways that were “respectful and safe for the entire university community and campus.”
The ANU for Palestine group was demanding that the ANU “cut ties with all weapons manufacturing companies” and “place a moratorium with any such ties in the future.”
Offensive Stickers on Campus
During the Senate estimate hearing, Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson shared and tabled photographs of slogans and stickers allegedly still being displayed on campus.These include “if you are not with Palestine you are a psychopath and ”Zionism is terrorism,” along with a flag of the Star of David with a big red line through it.
Ms. Henderson recounted that one student told her the stickers “seem to be everywhere.”
The shadow education minister asked ANU’s vice-chancellor if she believes the statement “if you are not with Palestine you are a psychopath” is anti-Semitic in her view.
In response, Ms. Bell said “Senator, those are stickers that we would attempt to take down because we would see them as being ‘hateful.’
“We at the moment have a set of activities that happen almost every day of taking multiple things down from around our campus.”
Ms. Bell also agreed the statement “Zionism is terrorism” is hateful. She said the university is at the moment working on a policy about things that are posted on campus.
