US-Inspired ‘Gaza Camps’ Spreading Across Australian Universities

Student activists have put up tents to set up a protest camp site for Palestine at the University of Sydney in Sydney, Australia on May 3, 2024. Ayush Kumar/AFP via Getty Images

The Free Palestine movement in Australia will continue to launch “Gaza Solidarity Encampments” inspired by the U.S. movement.

The rallies are being held amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas that began on Oct. 7 after the terrorist group launched an attack on Israel.

Camps and launch rallies in Melbourne are set to continue, including at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) on May 6.

The group, Free Palestine Melbourne, said it was inspired by the actions overseas.

“Inspired by the explosive movement in the U.S., students across Australia have launched their own Gaza Solidarity Encampments,” Free Palestine Melbourne posted to Facebook.

“The demands of the encampments are for their universities to disclose and divest: universities must disclose all partnerships they have with weapons manufacturing companies connected to Israel, and divest to end those partnerships and all other ties with Israel.”

The Palestine activist movement called on all supporters to “mobilise” to support the encampments, by donating camping gear and food.

“The community can support them by attending the launch rallies, dropping by the camps, or donating supplies. If you can donate camping gear, food, or other supplies, please reach out to the camps or fill out the donation forms found on their pages,” the group said.

Camps are planned for not only RMIT, but also Deakin, La Trobe, Monash and Melbourne University from May 7.

The continued action follows multiple universities in Australia setting up encampments across the nation last week.

In New South Wales, hundreds of people protesting the war in Gaza, rallied at the University of Sydney on May 3, demanding the institution divest from companies with ties to Israel.

Camps were also set up at the Australian National University, Curtin University, the University of Melbourne, and Monash.

Members of the Australian Palestinian community gather at the Palestinian Protest Campsite at University of Sydney in Sydney, Australia on May 3, 2024. Ayush Kumar/AFP via Getty Images

Education Minister’s Response

Federal Minister for Education Jason Clare said there was no place for intimidation, anti-semitism, or Islamophobia when asked if the pro-Palestinian encampments should be broken up.

He said that he has informed vice-chancellors that student safety was a priority.

“There’s always going to be protests in a democracy. There’ll always be protests at universities. There’ll always be protests anywhere in a democracy. What there’s no place for is: hate. What there’s no place for is prejudice or discrimination,” he said at a press conference on May 5.

In the United States, police have been called and arrested students at pro-Palestinian encampments at universities including Columbia University, and City College New York.

Students have also faced suspension, and charges including obstruction of governmental administration, burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, conspiracy, and criminal trespass.

Protest Campsites to Remain at University of Sydney

University of Sydney Vice Chancellor Mark Scott says he will allow the protest campsite to remain, while he acknowledging it may be a difficult situation for the Jewish community.

“I can understand that it is uncomfortable for some of our Jewish staff and students to have the encampment there, and they would prefer it not to be there. I’m very sympathetic to that view,” he said in quotes cited by The Daily Telegraph.

A member of the Australian Israeli community holds up a sign at the Palestinian Protest Campsite where members of the Australian Palestinian community can be seen protesting in the background at University of Sydney in Sydney, Australia on May 3, 2024. Ayush Kumar/AFP via Getty Images

“That is, though, how our university and places committed to free speech will operate. People will be upset from time to time by things that they hear, by things that they see, by the presence of people who hold strongly divergent views from them, but as a university, we need to be able to manage that diversity of views.”

In response, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said this tolerance was unlikely to extend to other segments of society.

“If they were Indigenous kids, or if they were kids from Islamic communities, or if they were Catholics, or Anglicans, or atheists, tall people, short people. We wouldn’t tolerate the segregation and the anti-semitic conduct that we’re seeing at the moment,” he told the Today show.

“It’s targeted against people of Jewish faith. They have no connection whatsoever with the leadership in Israel. As you go around the Jewish community, people now are right to point out that they’ve got armed guards at schools and pre-schools.”

Mr. Dutton added the Jewish community were “scared witless” when they first heard about the Bondi stabbing attack, fearing their community was being targeted.

“This is the 1930s over again,” he said in reference to the head up to the Holocaust.

“And if we don’t call it out, if we don’t start to respond and to bring this to an end, this continues to go on and on and on, and it is targeted at people because of their heritage or their faith.”

Minister Says Protestors Forcing Students to Take Stance

Federal Minister Bill Shorten said there was no place for making Jewish kids feel unsafe on campus.

The minister said he was told by friends that protesters had taken photos of people critical of the rallies.

“Students have got a right to feel safe when they go to university. University, you are allowed to have freedom of speech, but when freedom of speech crosses the line into bullying and to victimisation, then that’s not freedom of speech,” Mr. Shorten said on the Today Show.

“Whether or not someone wants to camp on a lawn is one thing, but when I’ve had reports from friends whose kids have been in classes where some of the protestors have gone in and made people stand up if they support the protests and take photos of people who don’t.

“I haven’t got to the bottom if that’s accurate, but if that’s happening, Melbourne University needs to stop that. There’s no place for making Jewish kids feel unsafe.”