By Amy Briggs.
Protesters rallied today after seven ANU students were told in a meeting on Wednesday that they may face academic disciplinary action if they do not follow the ‘reasonable directive’ to vacate the Kambri encampment by the end of Friday, with more encampment members to follow.
Observer has obtained evidence this happened after the Office of the Vice-Chancellor requested three nominated representatives to attend a meeting on Monday, May 13, to discuss “ways to enable the protest to continue in a respectful manner.”
After the university received no reply, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Grady Venville, contacted each of the seven students earlier this week to individually inform them of a mandatory meeting time. For which the penalty of “non-attendance” and “noncompliance” could have resulted in an “inquiry under the Discipline Rule.”
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Venville also stated in the email to one of the students, “The purpose of Wednesday’s meeting is to inform you of some restrictions l [Deputy Vice-Chancellor Venville] intend to impose on the current protest activities.
“I have decided to impose these restrictions on the protest and encampment activities to address some concerns I have about the safety and wellbeing of participants, as well as the University community as a whole, and to minimise any damage the encampment may be causing to University property,” she said.
Instead of attending individual meetings with ANU representatives, the seven students arrived as a collective alongside a union representative.
Nick Reich, a media representative for the encampment, was one of the students present at the meeting.
He told Observer that the ANU representatives present informed the students that a list of names had been given to them by the ANU security posted around the encampment and by other students at the ANU.
“When we asked the clarifying question as to if they [the ANU representatives] could list any existing code of conduct breaches on our behalf as individuals, they said, they did not have to tell us that,” said Nick.
An ANU spokesperson has clarified this to say that the seven students who were present are not currently facing misconduct allegations or disciplinary action beyond their potential inaction to the university’s “reasonable direction” to vacate the encampment.
According to Nick, the ANU representatives in the meeting also expressed interest in the names of other students involved in the protests asking the students if they “‘would like to name any other people who are involved in [the] encampment, you [the students] can list them on this piece of paper’ and [they] pushed forward a piece of paper and pen.”
“They also indicated that other people involved in the encampment would similarly receive these orders [to vacate the area],” said Nick.
An ANU spokesperson has told Observer, “As per the University’s code of conduct and student discipline rule, ANU expects the meeting participants to follow these reasonable directions.”
Following on from the Wednesday meeting, an ANUSA spokesperson has said that the association “opposes the attempts to move students from ANU Gaza Solidarity encampment.
“This action from the ANU is unnecessary, unhelpful and potentially harmful to students who are peacefully protesting.”
The ANUSA spokesperson went on to say that the ANU simply needs to “divest from companies who are connected with provisions of military goods and services to the Israeli military.
“The ANU has not engaged with these reasonable and ethical demands.
Today, the Canberra Students for Palestine and the ACT division of the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) held a snap rally in support of the seven students.
During a speech to protesters, the ACT Division Secretary for the NTEU, Lachlan Clohesy, pointed to the ANU’s Freedom of Speech policy, due to be reviewed this coming June.
Lachlan quoted one of the policy clauses that references ANU’s duty to ensure that staff and students are not subject to threats and intimidation, subsequently asking the crowd—and rhetorically the ANU-, “Who is doing the threatening, who is doing the intimidating?”
Speaking to Observer as a representative for the NTEU, Lachlan said, “We think this is a threat to the right to peacefully protest, consistent with principles of academic freedom and freedom of speech.”
“We condemn ANU’s egregious attacks on the fundamental freedoms and principles which are the cornerstone of what it means to be a university.”
Following today’s rally, ANU issued a statement saying “The University is willing to continue to work with participants [of the encampment] so they can continue to protest and exercise their free speech in ways that are appropriate for our campus and community.”
The spokesperson further states “The University supports students’ right to protest but these activities must be safe and not cause unnecessary harm or damage to our campus or community.”
Observer has also been made aware of a letter sent to the 7 students by Venville after today’s protest.
In the letter, Venville reiterates her order for encampment members to vacate the Kambri lawns by Friday, adding that she’s “become increasingly concerned about the health and safety of participants within the encampment, and those who are attending campus to pursue their work and studies.”
The letter further reads that the students are “to vacate the encampment and remove all [their] personal belongings from the encampment by the end of Friday 17 May 2024. Similar directions will be issued to all those identified as residing in the encampment.”
She ends the letter with a statement saying “To be clear, the University is not limiting your right to protest peacefully and in accordance with applicable policies and procedures. The University encourages the respectful exchange of ideas and your right to protest, and this direction does not prevent you participating in the organised protest activities that occur outside of the encampment.”
Observer understands that the encampment will meet tonight to plan their response to the Deputy Vice-Chancellors orders.
This comes after protesters at the University of Melbourne continue their occupation of the campus’s Arts West Building despite similar demands from the university to vacate.
Photo by Ryan Bourke.
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