The vice-chancellor urges the Muslim Student Association to organize a festival to ring in the new semester, but the association remains steadfast.
It would be hard to believe that hundreds of students had camped out at the University of Sydney at one point in protest of the Gaza War if not for the brown scorching of the quadrangle lawns.
The Sandstone site came to life for two months with colorful tents, marquees, and makeshift kitchens; protestors shared meals and held rallies and tech-ins, declaring that they would not stop until the institution revealed and divested from weapons manufacturers and companies with links to Israel.
However, as campus security proceeded to dismantle the remaining camps on Tuesday morning, just a few dozen campuses remained at Australia’s longest-running encampment.
Placards surrounded the university, warning students that refusing to leave would be considered an offense, and the lawns were roped off.
A small group of protestors from the Sydney University Muslim Students’ Association (SUMSA) remained steadfast amid the tents, vowing at a rally that they would not move until the university complied with their demands or the police intervened.
Vice-chancellor Mark Scott wrote to colleagues on Monday, advising them to cancel the camp so the university could prepare for Welcome Fest, a three-day event held the week before the start of the second semester.
He added, “Since the encampment began on April 24, we have consistently stated that we support the right to peaceful protest, provided it doesn’t significantly disrupt core university operations.
However, crack quickly emerged, with SUMSA promptly issuing a statement on Monday evening countering that “the encampment has not ended.” The statement added that while it was aware that other student groups had suggested that the encampment had ended, this was not the case.
“SUMSA intends to maintain the encampment …SUMSA is in direct communication with the institution to accelerate the negotiation process, and we are looking to have a few significant updates in the coming days.
A campaign group, Students Against War, which has connections with the socialist organization Solidarity, further stated that it did not support the statement and condemned the university’s “threat against the camp.”
It stated, “No camp meeting has been held to make the decision.” “Students are still camping, including SUMSA members.” “We stand condemn management threats camp and stand with their rights to do so.”
In a letter to the staff, Scott acknowledged allegations in the media that external forces were targeting the protest encampment, confirmed that they were being treated seriously, and advised them to consult the authorities.
He added, “We’ve been in regular contact with New South Wales since the protest encampment began, and we participated in the recent briefing of the Universities Foreign Interference Taskforce.”
According to a University of Sydney spokesperson, disciplinary action has been taken on a small group of camp-related matters and classroom disruptions. The encampment also contained individuals who were not staff or students.
They added, “While the public is welcome to welcome to our campus, we expect all visitors to assemble and protest and express their views peacefully and thoughtfully.
“We maintain the power to withdraw their permission to visit our campuses. The police or other authorities can choose to prosecute,”
