Tom Raue and other activists at the University of Sydney have been banned from campus for being involved in protests against foreign minister Julie Bishop.
Raue has been arbitrarily singled out for disciplinary action. Raue works on campus, and this ban might mean he loses his job.
On May 28, about 100 students and staff attended a protest to defend these students. Student demands are simple and were slipped under Sydney University vice-chancellor Michael Spence's door.
The letter says: “We, education activists of Sydney University, assert our right and intent to continue to protest and picket all Liberal Ministers on our campus.
“We refuse to allow a platform to those wielding the axe against our education. It is they, and not our fellow student Tom Raue, that the administration should ban from campus. We see this as a blatant act of intimidation which amounts to arbitrary punishment without hearing. But it will not work.
“If this university administration continues to act as an arm of the Coalition government on campus, students will have no choice but to use methods of protest and direct action against its governing bodies as well.”
Students are demanding an immediate revoking of the ban on Raue, an immediate revoking of all political campus bans, no platform given to Liberal Ministers on campus and that the Vice Chancellor and Senate call on the government to immediately halt its plans to de-fund and deregulate higher education.
[Follow the campaign at Stand with Raue on Facebook.]