On Tuesday morning, a group of anti-reproductive rights protesters were stationed on Eastern Avenue outside the Law Annex. Honi understands that the three men were not students nor members of the university community.
The three men held large signs stating “Abolish abortion to the Glory of God,” “Abortion is Murder” and “Whatever happened to human rights?” One protester wore a shirt labelled with the slogan “abolitionist.”
The group pulled a similar stunt on campus last week, holding the same signs in the same area outside the Law Annex.
Despite attempts to engage with bystanders, passers-by largely ignored the protesters.
Security had circled the group, and at 1pm told Honi that police were on the way, due to the group’s non-compliance with the Campus Access Policy 2024.
The group faces possible criminal charges for refusing to provide police with their details.
A USyd student, Ishtar, told Honi they saw one of the men being “frogmarched down king street” accompanied by approximately five police officers, who led the man to a dark grey hatchback at about 1:30pm. Ishtar told Honi that the man “looked quite embarrassed.”
This incident unfolded in the light of the new Campus Access Policy, which has been largely criticised for its repressive effect on student protests. The new policy mandates that students must register their protests 24 hours prior to them taking place, and also requires that protesters seek approval for items such as megaphones, banners, and amplifiers.
When asked about the issue, a University spokesperson told Honi that “our protective services team requested police assistance to escort members of the public off our main campus.”
“Our new Campus Access Policy specifies ‘Only staff and students are permitted to organise protests on University lands’. After the group refused a request to leave, our protective services team revoked their access to campus in line with the Inclosed Lands Protection Act, and made the request for police assistance.”
“We’re aware the content of the displayed materials may have been confronting or upsetting for some in our community and support is available to anyone who may need.”
Honi understands that a termination notice was issued which would amount to a campus ban, however, NSW Police are yet to confirm this.
SRC president Harrison Brennan was contacted for comment.
