Sydney University Issues Eviction Notice to Protest Camp

Sydney University has directed the extensive pro-Palestinian encampment to dismantle and vacate the campus, nearly eight weeks after it first appeared on the lawns of the quadrangle.

Vice Chancellor Mark Scott issued a letter on Friday instructing organizers to clear the site, which has been occupied by numerous tents since April 23rd.

Scott informed the organizers that the area needed to be cleared to allow for remedial work on the lawns in preparation for the “Welcome Fest” at the start of the second semester.

The directive follows the university management’s placement of signs Friday morning, warning that unattended items would be confiscated and that security personnel had already begun removing damaged items and dismantling tents.

A university spokesperson stated that the institution had been in negotiations with representatives of the encampment for weeks in an attempt to reach a peaceful resolution.

“After the recent rejection of our proposal, we have now instructed encampment representatives to vacate the site so that other students can utilize the space,” she said.

“The front lawns are intended as shared space, and as previously stated, our shared spaces should be inclusive and welcoming to all members of our community. Since April 24th, the encampment has monopolized this shared space to the exclusion of others.”

Harrison Brennan, president of the Student Representative Council and one of the protest organizers, commented that the encampment had not yet decided on its response but would convene in the coming days.

He disputed claims that the camp was exclusionary, saying, “This has been one of the most open and heartwarming spaces I have encountered in my life.”

“Despite appearances suggesting otherwise, the university has continuously suppressed us throughout this period,” Brennan asserted.

“In reality, we have been inundated with arbitrary cease and desist letters concerning university bylaws.”

The university noted ongoing efforts to clear refuse and damaged items from the site, and appealed to owners of unoccupied tents to remove them.

“Since the encampment began, we have consistently expressed our support for peaceful protest, provided it does not significantly disrupt essential university operations,” the spokesperson added.

“We consider preparation for the second semester as an essential operation of the university, and any activity that hinders our ability to prepare in the usual manner is deemed a significant and unacceptable disruption.”

Scott pledged to review the university’s investments related to defense and security industries ahead of a Senate discussion on divestment, in exchange for the protesters’ departure.

He also committed to forming a working group, inclusive of camp-nominated representatives, to conduct an independent review of the university’s research partnerships, including those with defense firms. The university vowed transparency regarding its research links to weapons manufacturers, in accordance with legal obligations.

The protesters, advocating for the institution to sever all ties with weapons companies and Israeli universities, rebuffed all university offers as “grossly inadequate.”

The encampment at Sydney University mirrored student protests across the United States, starting at Columbia University in New York, some of which were forcefully disbanded by police, resulting in numerous arrests.

Encampments at the University of Melbourne and Curtin University disbanded after those institutions agreed to disclose their connections with weapons companies.

In Victoria, other encampments dissolved following threats of expulsion from universities.

Sydney University had previously allowed the encampment to continue despite pressure from certain Jewish groups to shut it down.

While largely peaceful, the encampment faced controversy when Families for Palestine organized a children’s excursion to the solidarity camp at Sydney University.

Recently, two students associated with the camp were suspended for one month for “seriously disrupting” classes.