A powerful student-led rally on May 13 at Western Sydney University鈥檚 (WSU) Parramatta South campus called for an end to Israel鈥檚 genocide in Palestine.
Speakers were Palestinian, Lebanese and Jewish students and staff. The rally also called for WSU to divest and cut its ties with weapons manufacturers, which include Thales, BAE Systems and RTX (Raytheon).
During the rally, management threatened to call police on students and staff and demanded that the chant, 鈥淔rom the river to the sea, Palestine will be free鈥, not be used.
Subsequent threats were made by the University鈥檚 Vice President Bill Parasiris to suspend a law student and remove from the campus.
The student was singled out as an organiser, which led to the crowd chanting 鈥淲e are all organisers鈥.
WSU representatives were unable to reference a relevant policy to back up their threats.
Singling out a student, in the context of a student rally supporting Palestine, may contravene anti-discrimination laws covering WSU.聽It also potentially breaches the Racial Discrimination Act, based on the student鈥檚 religious identity.
This is happening as WSU is increasingly threatening free speech on campus.
On May 9, on the Parramatta South campus, security was sent to stop students chalking up calls for the liberation of Palestine.
This follows efforts by the Building Manager and security personnel at Bankstown campus to ban staff and students from handing out fliers supporting Palestinians.
Lobbying of the university has led management to ban calls for Palestinian liberation.聽Recently, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese claimed that 鈥淔rom the river to the sea鈥 is "violent".
WSU鈥檚 Chancellor Jennifer Westacott was featured聽in The Australian聽arguing that antisemitism is rife on university campuses, citing the 鈥淔rom the river to the sea, Palestine will be free鈥 chant as evidence.
WSU management鈥檚 efforts to squash Pro-Palestinian advocacy will not succeed.
[Western Sydney University 4 Palestine, is a staff and student collective, calling for a ceasefire on occupied Palestinian lands. We are calling for the University to divest from companies profiting from the genocide in Gaza and from Israeli settler colonialism in Palestine. Sign the open letter calling for the University to divest . Email wsu4palestine@gmail.com to get involved.]