A crowd of academics and activists gathered outside the F23 building this morning for a press conference to discuss the repressive campaign against pro-Palestine students and staff.
Yasmine Johnson, co-convenor of Students For Palestine, opened the press conference by saying, “we’ve seen attacks on freedom of speech and academic freedom”, citing the Campus Access Policy at the University of Sydney which limits the right of students to protest on campus. She also referenced the suspension of the Students For Palestine society at the University of New South Wales, and the arrests of students at the Western Sydney University campus.
Johnson also raised a recent incident of repression when members of the Autonomous Collective Against Racism (ACAR) at USyd organised a bake sale to raise money to evacuate a Palestinian family in Gaza, which was disbanded as it did not comply with the Campus Access Policy.
Johnson explained, “our message is one of justice regardless of race and religion”.
USyd English Senior Lecturer Nick Riemer then spoke about the allegations of anti-semitism against him and fellow academic John Keane, describing them as an, “absurd attempt to use racial discrimination legislation”.
He elaborated, “[it is] nonsensical to claim we are anti-semitic. We do not oppose Judaism. We criticise Zionists, which is no more racist than criticising Trump supporters.”
UNSW Students’ Representative Council Education Officer and member of the suspended UNSW Students For Palestine club Cherish Kuehlmann then explained,
“[the UNSW] administration has gone to extreme lengths to silence pro-Palestinian activism”.
She explained that it is likely that “University management placed immense pressure on the Clubs Department to actually make an example out of our club, so I believe this is coming from the top of the university.”
UNSW Jewish academic Peter Slezak then outlined his experience being called in to speak with University management over comments he made at the UNSW Student General Meeting. His anti-Zionist remarks were quoted in the Australian.
“My mother survived the extermination camps [during the Holocaust] and always why people looked away and didn’t do anything about the genocide”, Slezak explained. “Now we know the answer”.
Slezak reiterated that while governments and the media “look away” from the atrocities unfolding, student activists “have stood up for international law, human rights and justice” even as “universities harass academics and students.”
Johnson then spoke about how she is facing potential suspension for her pro-Palestinian activism, including claims made the University that she failed to notify the university of the protest, the presence of megaphones, and that they marched up a road on campus.
She explained that she had notified the NSW police and it was authorised, stating “you can organise a protest without notification on any road in Australia, except on a university campus.”
Johnson also spoke to her personal history, where her “family was scarred by the Holocaust”, saying that this “binds” her with a “duty to stand up with those being massacred by Israel right now.” She added that “Zionist institutions are using one genocide to justify what is currently taking place in Gaza.”
NSW Greens Member for Balmain Kobi Shetty “applaud[ed] the students here today for speaking up in the face of action designed to silence or intimidate them”, reiterating the “proud history” of universities as the “sites of student-led social movements.”
She spoke about how the University’s position on protesting aligns with a broader governmental shift: “NSW government supports crackdowns on peaceful protest”. She criticised this as a “very concerning sweep towards authoritarianism”.
The press conference was filmed by SBS, with footage to be used by the ABC.
