Honi Soit
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Trending
    • Mohammed Shami: The Muslim cricketer who carried an Islamophobic nation to the Men’s Cricket World Cup Final
    • Moving beyond the theoretical: Privacy law reform in Australia
    • Digital privacy, missing voices, and cookies: IAPP Summit 2023
    • SUDS 2023 Major: A Corpse in the Cabinet — Review
    • In Defence of Studying Useless Degrees
    • “I Don’t Like Living Sometimes”: An Interview with Mark Scott
    • Tensions rise between Arc and Tharunka over editorial processes
    •  ‘Some good old Southern hospitality’: Steel Magnolias at the Genesian Theatre
    • About
    • Print Edition
    • Advertise
    • Locations
    • Contact
    Facebook Instagram X (Twitter) TikTok
    Honi SoitHoni Soit
    Saturday, December 2
    • News
    • Analysis
    • Culture
    • Opinion
    • University
    • Features
    • Perspective
    • Investigation
    • Reviews
    Honi Soit
    Home»News

    Senate campaigner accused of racially profiling international students

    By Andrew BellSeptember 22, 2016 News 3 Mins Read
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    Law student Alessandro Cowley has been accused of racially profiling international students while campaigning for University of Sydney Senate candidate Francis Tamer.

    Students have submitted accounts to Honi that Cowley has been circulating study areas, selectively approaching students of Chinese appearance to solicit votes on his laptop.

    One student told Honi, “He came up to the male student behind me, interrupting his TV show. He said, ‘Can I have 10 seconds of you time? My friend is running for a position in the university, and I was wondering if you would be able to vote for him. I have the website on this laptop here, and all I need you to do is log in’ The student, who was of Asian origin, didn’t say anything, but logged on and voted.”

    “[He] then walked past me (I’m Caucasian) to the female student at the end of my table, who was also of Asian origin. She declined to vote. He then proceeded to bounce between all the students of Asian origin on the seats on the open study area before talking to a group of people in one of those study alcoves with a table and bench seats.”

    “Five minutes later, he was walking towards the lifts, laptop closed, with a Caucasian male. The Caucasian male said ‘you are a machine’ to the campaigner.”

    Cowley declined to deny to comment, or to deny the allegations. He received requests for comment on multiple occasions.

    Students have submitted photographic evidence of Cowley campaigning.

    Without that comment, Honi cannot detail the reasons behind Cowley’s alleged strategy. Students have suggested that Senate campaigners prioritise international students because they are perceived to be more compliant, owing to language barriers and heightened disconnect from campus politics.

    Tamer said, “I understand the concerns of those who have complained, but I can assure you without a doubt that my campaigners have been instructed from the beginning to approach and speak to everyone regardless of their identity. At no point was there instruction to specifically target Asian and/or other international students.”

    “As a son of Lebanese migrants, I have been on the receiving end of racism for much of my childhood and would never instruct my campaigners to treat a group of students differently based of their identity.”

    “I have full faith in the integrity of my campaigners, especially Alessandro, in the way they conducted themselves during this campaign. These stories regarding racial profiling are nothing more than attempted character assasination against him. I maintain full support for Alessandro.”

    Similar allegations have been made against other students.

    Honi requested that the Returning Officer, David Pacey, comment on these allegations and the recurrent issues that have tainted this election.

    Pacey said, “As the election is currently underway and I am actively considering matters which have been brought to my attention I do not believe that I am in a position to provide you with a response at this point in time.”

    The allegations are still unconfirmed.

    The election result will be released this Thursday, 22 September at approximately 4PM.

    Update: This piece has been updated with comment from Francis Tamer.

    Keep Reading

    Tensions rise between Arc and Tharunka over editorial processes

    Seventh consecutive pro-Palestine rally held at Hyde Park

    ‘Stand up, fight back’: Trans Day of Resistance Rally and March

    Groove to lead SULS for 2024, with Danielle Tweedale elected President

    USyd Law School Dean to finish term mid-next year

    Students across Sydney strike in solidarity with Palestine

    Just In

    Mohammed Shami: The Muslim cricketer who carried an Islamophobic nation to the Men’s Cricket World Cup Final

    December 1, 2023

    Moving beyond the theoretical: Privacy law reform in Australia

    November 30, 2023

    Digital privacy, missing voices, and cookies: IAPP Summit 2023

    November 30, 2023

    SUDS 2023 Major: A Corpse in the Cabinet — Review

    November 30, 2023
    Editor's Picks

    Puff, puff, pass: What does cannabis legalisation mean for student communities?

    November 1, 2023

    Privacy is not dead, yet

    October 26, 2023

    ‘A patchwork quilt of repression’: The disappearing right to protest in NSW

    October 17, 2023

    The lights are on, but no one’s home: inside USyd’s International House

    October 10, 2023
    Facebook Instagram X (Twitter) TikTok

    From the mines

    • News
    • Analysis
    • Higher Education
    • Culture
    • Features
    • Investigation
    • Comedy
    • Editorials
    • Letters
    • Misc

     

    • Opinion
    • Perspective
    • Profiles
    • Reviews
    • Science
    • Social
    • Sport
    • SRC Reports
    • Tech

    Admin

    • About
    • Editors
    • Send an Anonymous Tip
    • Write/Produce/Create For Us
    • Print Edition
    • Locations
    • Archive
    • Advertise in Honi Soit
    • Contact Us

    We acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. The University of Sydney – where we write, publish and distribute Honi Soit – is on the sovereign land of these people. As students and journalists, we recognise our complicity in the ongoing colonisation of Indigenous land. In recognition of our privilege, we vow to not only include, but to prioritise and centre the experiences of Indigenous people, and to be reflective when we fail to be a counterpoint to the racism that plagues the mainstream media.

    © 2023 Honi Soit
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms
    • Accessibility

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.