The university administration is threatening 21 university students and some University of Melbourne staff with expulsion for participating in the Gaza solidarity encampment.
In a potential breach of Victoria’s privacy laws, evidence of the students’ supposed wrong-doing was based on the university’s use of surveillance technology, including CCTV footage and tracking student’s use of the university WiFi.
Unimelb for Palestine’s petition opposing the threats has now been signed by more than 20,000 people.
A protest was organised on July 10, the first day of the disciplinary hearings against the students. It attracted hundreds of supporters.
Emily, a student and staff member who is being targeted by the administration, said that management’s behaviour was “shameful”.
She said it should “examine its own complicity in genocide” instead of using surveillance technology to punish students.
The protest highlighted the achievements of the four-week Gaza solidarity encampment: the university has disclosed its ties to weapon’s manufacturers complicit in Israel’s genocide including Lockheed Martin and Boeing systems. It has also disclosed that it received more than $15.4 million from the United States Department of Defense.
Elizabeth Strakosch, University of Melbourne academic and a member of the Jewish Council of Australia, condemned management and called out the cynical weaponisation of antisemitism being against those speaking out for Palestine.
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Protesters marched to Building 266 on the university, where the first misconduct hearings were being held.
Outside, Disha Zutshii, President of the University of Melbourne Students Union, said the organisation stands with students being persecuted by the university.
After her misconduct hearing, Dana Alshaer, a Palestinian and Unimelb for Palestine organiser said: “We are being punished because we forced the world’s most powerful and Zionist academic institution to bow down and give us disclosure.”
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