The University of Western Australia (UWA) has taken disciplinary action against a pro-Palestinian student activist for putting up posters accusing the university of preventing free speech on campus.
On the 12th of April, Student Guild (the UWA Student Union) representative Finn Penter, received a notice regarding the ‘student conduct and discipline process’. The notice reads: “Allegation 1: On 25 March 2025, you affixed copies of posters around the Law Building without approval.”
The six posters included statements such as “free speech is under attack” and “clubs are under attack.”
The university used CCTV cameras across campus to identify the student, with video footage being as long as 20 minutes. Penter stated that the university has treated him as if he were “a criminal.”
On his Instagram statement of the incident, Penter stated that he was instructed to stay silent, and that breaching confidentiality would lead to further disciplinary action. The notice states that the university “expects that confidentiality will be maintained.”
When asked by Honi about the process of disciplinary action by UWA, Penter responded stating that he was required to have an interview with the disciplinary committee, which was to remain confidential along with the notice. The university stated that this was standard procedure. Penter stated that “the university punishes students for activism and then insists that they shut up and keep it to themselves,” calling it a “strategy of isolation and intimidation.”
Penter has not heard directly from university management at the present moment, despite his public post on Instagram. He states that the university’s actions can only be described as “Trumpian.”
This follows UWA’s pressures against free speech on campus, with the University’s management working to restrict students posterings, handing out leaflets, and making announcements at the start of lectures. Penter stated to Honi that ‘Students for Palestine UWA’ were threatened with potential disaffiliation from the university, due to painting a banner using the commonly-known Pro-Palestinian chant, “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free.”
Penter also noted that the university informed clubs that long existing by-laws would now be enforced. According to Penter, these previously unenforced by-laws also include consequences for “picking flowers and swearing,”. Penter commented that “the selection of which by-laws will be enforced is based on the university’s agenda, in this case they want to ban activism.”
Penter told Honi: “I went public for two main reasons.
“First, because I believe that their actions are appalling and everyone at UWA should know about this, which clearly is something the university has gone to lengths to avoid.
“Second, because there may probably be more students that have been bullied and intimidated by the university and I want those students to know they are not alone. If we allow UWA to get away with their recent crackdowns, who knows what they can get away with in the future.”
Across Australia, universities have been following similar patterns against freedom of speech and freedom of protest on campus. At the University of Sydney (USyd), management has implemented the Campus Access Policy, which disallows students from putting up posters, protest on campus, or hold bake sales, amongst other restrictions without prior approval.
Students on the USyd campus have also been faced with disciplinary action as result of these new restrictions.
Honi has requested comments from UWA. They have not yet responded.
This article has been amended rectify facts regarding the Campus Access Policy at USyd. A sentence regarding a lack of process has been removed, as well as a statement regarding 72 hour approvals for demonstrations.
