Student Strike for Palestine Calls for Action from ANU

Written by: Rowey Worner Butcher

Around 100 students gathered in Kambri Precinct on February 29 as part of a nationwide coordinated Student Strike for Palestine. 

The strike heard from a range of speakers, including student activists, student politicians and local politicians. The organisers of the strike stressed the “anti-racist” nature of the event, and said they condemned “any form of islamophobia or anti-semitism”. 

The speakers criticised ANU for its lack of action in regard to the ongoing Palestinian genocide, and called for ANU to terminate its Northrop Grumman scholarship. Northrop Grumman is an Aerospace and defence company which currently produces weapons used in the Israel-Palestine conflict. 

Speakers stated that the ANU has “blood on its hands” due to its connections with these companies. 

The strike marched into Canberra city, stopping at the office of BAE Systems on Childers Street, continuing to the ACT Legislative Assembly before stopping at the office of Alicia Payne, Labor MP for Canberra. 

The strike could be heard with chants of “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will be Free” and “No pride in genocide”. 

There was some counter protest at the strike, with a poster painted in the style of the Israeli flag being hung during the strike stating “I am proud to be a Jew”. The banner was not mentioned by any of the speakers. 

Concurrent protests took place at universities and schools nationwide, including University of Sydney, UNSW, and University of Melbourne. 

Further events in solidarity with Palestine have been organised by the Canberran Contingent of Students for Palestine, including an upcoming protest on 7 March calling for Penny Wong to resume funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNWRA). 

Australia discontinued its funding to UNWRA in January alongside the US, UK and 10 other nations amid allegations that some staff members of the organisation were involved in the Hamas attacks on October 7 2023.

Graphics by: Shé Chani

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