Pro-Palestinian protesters are resuming their actions today. Photo: Supplied.
Another pro-Palestinian rally is welling up at the Australian National University (ANU) today (7 June), this time in response to the expulsion of two students for what Vice-chancellor Genevieve Bell described as “significant violations of the code of conduct”.
Professor Bell and other ANU executives faced a Senate estimates hearing on Thursday evening for their handling of the pro-Palestinian encampment on the campus grounds – the second time in its history the university has been called to give evidence.
It was confirmed two students have been expelled and a further 10 students have faced disciplinary processes since 7 October, when Hamas, a proscribed terrorist organisation in Australia, attacked Israel, killing 1139 people and taking 251 hostages.
Student Beatrice Tucker, who was suspended last month, is one of two students to be expelled from the ANU this week.
During an interview with ABC radio in late April, Beatrice was asked if they wanted to send a message to Hamas for its actions on 7 October.
“I actually say Hamas deserves our unconditional support,” they replied.
“Not because I agree with their strategy – complete disagreement with that – but the situation at hand is if you have no hope … nothing can justify what has been happening to the Palestinian people for 75 years.”
Beatrice Tucker was expelled from the ANU. Photo: Beatrice Tucker, Facebook.
Professor Bell did not elaborate on the details of the expulsions, and in a statement, the ANU said it “does not comment on specific disciplinary matters”.
“However, the university can confirm it has a number of disciplinary inquiries currently underway for alleged behaviour or speech that contravenes our values as a community and which go against our codes of conduct,” the statement read.
“ANU takes these matters seriously and provides procedural fairness and support for all students.”
The ANU Gaza Solidarity Encampment was previously located in a fire evacuation area in the Kambri precinct and was ordered to move. Photo: Supplied.
The Students and Staff Against War (SSAW) group, of which Beatrice was a member, described the action as an “unprecedented, severe punishment to students exercising their academic freedom”.
Member Finnian Colwell told Region an organisational meeting ahead of today’s rally drew a record number of students.
“There’s widespread support for students having free speech, so when people heard … this university was the first one in the country to expel a student while they’re engaging in pro-Palestinian activism – yeah, lots of people are outraged by that.
“Of course, there’ll be differing views on the merits of what a particular activist said at one time or another – the campus is a pretty big place.”
The SSAW supports the same general message of the ANU Gaza Solidarity Encampment and is calling for the ANU to cut its ties with Israel.
“ANU is complicit in genocide,” Finnian said.
“It must drop all disciplinary action against students and cut its Northrop Grumman internship, end its exchange programme with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and end all links with the Australian Signals Directorate, which helps run Pine Gap.”
In response to questions from Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqui and independent Senator Lidia Thorpe during Thursday’s Senate hearing, ANU Deputy Vice-chancellor Lachlan Blackhall argued the ANU’s stocks were selected by an “external investment manager” who’s required to meet various “socially responsible investment” conditions.
“I would completely reject the notion that ANU is involved in genocide,” he said.
Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson said Jewish students on campus felt “great distress” because of encampment protesters’ alleged usage of the slogan “free Palestine from the river to the sea” and the word “intifada”, which refers to an uprising.
Ms Henderson also tabled photos of signs on the campus that read, “If you are not with Palestine, you are a psychopath” and “Zionism is terrorism”.
Professor Bell agreed these were hateful and said executives were working to create a policy on what could be posted on campus, as well as updating about 400 policies to combat anti-Semitism. She said students using “hurtful speech” had been told to stop.
“Academic freedom and freedom of speech are not absolute.”
ANU vice-chancellor Genevieve Bell said the ANU is drafting new policies relating to what kind of posters can be shown on campus. Photo: Andrew Mears, ANU.
As for the student who appeared to perform Nazi gestures at a meeting of the ANU Student Association (ANUSA) at its general meeting on 8 May, Professor Bell said the university was “incredibly concerned”.
“We sent a formal note … to ANUSUA on 14 May basically asking them to show cause on how they are functioning. We are now in receipt of their first response to that, but we are working through to get to a different kind of outcome.”
Finnian told Region none of the signs mentioned in the hearing were connected to SSAW members, and organisers have provided several placards for students to use in today’s rally.
“I would say some of the characterisations of specific slogans as anti-Semitic were just nonsense,” he said.
“If you want to take anti-Semitism seriously, you shouldn’t be bandying around the word in the way some right-wing politicians have been.”
Region has made attempts to contact Beatrice Tucker.
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