‘Full-scale offensive’: Sydney University restricts all student protests on campus
By Daniella White and Lucy Carroll
Sydney University has imposed tough new conditions on campus protests in a major crackdown that limits student and staff action on the back of the controversial pro-Palestinian encampment.
Students have labelled the new rules a “full-scale offensive” on their right to protest, while a law academic said it marked a dramatic escalation of the university’s powers that removed essential elements of protest.
The new policy was updated by vice chancellor Mark Scott last week.Credit: Janie Barrett
In a new policy quietly updated by vice chancellor Mark Scott last week, the institution said only staff and students were permitted to organise protests on university lands and must give management three days’ notice for any demonstration.
Demonstrations must now only be held in open spaces and camping is explicitly banned. Students and staff must get approval from the university if they wish to use megaphones or even to attach banners to university buildings.
Sydney University moved to shut down the two-month long pro-Palestinian encampment on June 14 and was criticised by some Jewish groups and politicians, who said the university should have stepped in sooner.
Days after the order to close the camp, this masthead revealed supporters of extremist group Hizb ut-Tahrir, banned in countries including the UK but not Australia, managed to infiltrate the university encampment under the front Stand For Palestine.
Hizb ut-Tahrir has led a decades-long campaign to destroy Israel and create a caliphate ruled by sharia, or Islamic law, but it is not suggested the group’s view are endorsed more broadly by the pro-Palestinian protest movement.
Harrison Brennan at the Pro Palestine encampment at the University of Sydney Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
Sydney University Student Representative Council president Harrison Brennan said the university’s new rules were a “repulsive, full-scale offensive” on the right to protest.
“This policy will not just affect student activists around the topic of Palestine but will have chilling implications for other campaigns and will stifle campus life, clubs and societies, and the initiatives run by the National Tertiary Education Union,” he said. “Students shouldn’t need permission to protest on their own campus.”
In an email to students on Thursday afternoon, Scott said the university continued to support the right to “peaceful, orderly protest”.
“[The policy] supports this by setting out the university’s expectations for all users of our lands, specifying activities that require prior approval and those that are unacceptable at any time, and providing for the safe and orderly conduct of demonstrations,” he said.
“At its core, this policy upholds our commitment to free speech, while recognising we need to be able to manage our environment for the safety and security of all.”
Sydney University Professor Emeritus Simon Rice said the policy was a dramatic departure from the university’s current approach to protests on campus.
“At its core, this policy upholds our commitment to free speech.”
Vice chancellor Mark Scott
Rice said the new rules were not a necessary response to the encampment as he believed the university had all the legal powers it needed to shut it if it chose to.
“Yes it is in response to [the encampment], but it’s completely over the top in response to what was happening,” he said. “It’s disproportionate, it gives excessive discretion to protective services and the vice chancellor.
“It throws up so many barriers to expressions of opinion and dissent that it is effectively chilling protest voice.”
A spokesperson for Australia’s higher education watchdog said it had requested information about the university’s response to reports that supporters of Hizb ut-Tahrir were on the campus, and what steps the university was taking to ensure the wellbeing and safety of students.
“The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency is continuing to monitor how Australian registered higher education providers are assuring the safety and wellbeing of students and staff affected by the Middle East conflict and increased activist activity at some campuses.
“TEQSA raised concerns regarding the presence of people from outside university communities participating in protest activity on campuses with providers in May 2024,” the spokesperson said.
A University of Sydney spokeswoman said no concerns were raised with it by police or other government intelligence agencies since the October 7 attacks in Israel, including in a recent briefing with senior police officials. Sydney University also participated in a briefing on June 7 of the Universities Foreign Interference Taskforce, including briefings from intelligence officials, the spokesperson said.
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.