On Wednesday July 24, two security officers confronted a group of students leafleting on behalf of Students Against War, and mistakenly cited them for violating the University’s new Campus Access Policy (CAP).
The incident, captured on video, shows the security staff asking the students if they have “been authorised to hand these things out.”
There is no rule in the CAP against leafleting to students but other forms of protest such as using megaphones, setting up temporary structures like stalls, and entering University buildings, now require 72 hours of notice and University approval.
Even after the students informed the security staff that they did not need authorisation, they continued to be harassed with a security officer saying they could leaflet “if you have authorisation but I don’t think you have that.”
The security staff also appeared confused about other parts of the policy asking “Have they?” when told the CAP bans banners without authorization.
“What did you do this time? You guys are terrorists, mate,” the security officer can be heard saying.
Another staff member was also caught on video questioning if the activists were genuine Usyd students.
In a statement to Honi Soit, a University spokesperson confirmed that “two of our security officers incorrectly advised some students against handing out pamphlets on campus,” apologising “for any confusion this caused.”
The spokesperson said that the University was “engaging with our guards to ensure consistency in our approach.”
On the same day, likely prompted by this incident, Vice Chancellor Mark Scott sent out an email to all staff and students, clarifying the CAP’s operation.
Scott said that “students remain free to set up stalls, put up posters in designated areas, and run events that question and challenge the status quo as they always have done,” with the clarification that these events “don’t jeopardise the health and wellbeing of their peers or significantly disrupt the operations of the University.”
Scott also said that the policy would be reviewed at the end of the semester in consultation with staff and students where it may be “fine-tune[d] as necessary, recognising our multiple commitments to free speech, academic freedom, safety and wellbeing.”
In a post on social media, Students Against War condemned the policy, “The CAP is a violation of our right to free speech on campus and Usyd management are clearly seeing what they can get away with.
“We need every student talking about the CAP, we need to organise and make it unenforceable,” the post says.
Multiple factions, clubs and societies, and unions are organising an ‘Unauthorised Stalls Day’ on 12pm July 31 to protest the new policy. The University spokesperson told Honi that they expected “a period of adjustment following the introduction of the new Campus Access Policy.”
