Pro-Palestinian Protests Spread Across Australian University Campuses

Protests have erupted on university campuses across Australia, with hundreds of students demanding that their institutions divest from companies with ties to Israel. The demonstrations, which began two weeks ago, mirror similar events taking place at universities in the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

Why this matters: The global student movement is drawing attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the role of universities in perpetuating or challenging Israeli policies. As the protests continue to spread, they may influence university policies and spark wider conversations about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

At the University of Sydney, around 50 tents line the quadrangle, with up to 100 protesters sleeping each night. The protesters are calling for the university to disclose all links to Israeli companies and universities and to cut ties with weapons companies. Shovan Bhattarai, a history student and organizer of the Students for Palestine group, stated, "It matters that there is a student movement being built all around the world made up of millions of people who are refusing to be complicit in this genocide."

On May 3, Jewish groups held a counter-protest at the University of Sydney, gathering over 200 people. However, there was no direct encounter between them and the pro-Palestinian group due to a heavy security presence. University of Sydney Vice Chancellor Mark Scott allowed the encampment to stay oncampus, citing a lack of violence. Scott emphasized the importance of hosting conversations on contentious issues in a non-threatening way, stating,"They may strongly disagree with the matters that have been discussed. ... We can host that conversation and we should be able to do that in a non-threatening way."

The protests in Australia are part of a global student movement, with similar demonstrations taking place at universities in the United States, Canada, and France. In the US, over 2,000 people have been arrested at campuses since April 18 amid debates over the right to protest, free speech, and accusations of antisemitism. At Columbia University, over 100 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested on April 18 after university president Minouche Shafik asked New York police to clear the encampment.

The protests come in response to Israel's seven-month offensive in Gaza, which has killed over 34,600 people since it began on October 7, 2023. According to United Nations agencies, half of the 2.2 million people in Gaza are on the brink of starvation, and man-made famine is imminent. As the conflict continues, university students around the world are showing solidarity with Palestinians and demanding action from theirinstitutions.

Key Takeaways

• Protests erupt on Australian university campuses, demanding divestment from Israeli-tied companies.
• Global student movement draws attention to Gaza humanitarian crisis and university complicity.
• Protests spread across US, Europe, Asia, and Middle East, influencing university policies.
• University of Sydney allows encampment, citing non-violence, to host conversations on contentious issues.
• Protests respond to Israel's 7-month Gaza offensive, which has killed over 34,600 people.