Panel members for the People's Inquiry are in the process of reviewing submissions. This page contains excerpts from notable staff and student submissions. More detail will be included here as submissions are reviewed.
Staff
‘... free speech on Palestine has, over the last year and a half, been increasingly censored and monitored at the University, where I work…
As an academic I have had colleagues reporting being asked by superiors to take down posters about Palestine, including in one instance an old world map showing Palestine labelled as Palestine (without Israel) that had been up for years prior.
I have seen thinly-veiled references to speech on Palestine in emails sent around university executives, advocating for interpersonal ‘harmony’ on campus. I have seen colleagues warmly celebrated in their achievements by school or college leaders one day, only to be blatantly snubbed the next, when wearing a keffiyeh.
I have seen public academic events on campus that were spotlighting Palestinian perspectives, or had anything to do with Palestine in the title, cancelled by the university at the last minute due to ‘security concerns’. I have seen students threatened with expulsion for protesting against genocide on campus, and I have seen staff followed by security and police for holding a Palestinian poetry, grief and reflection sit-in on campus.
As an academic who teaches on postcolonial theory, critical race theory, settler-colonialism, Indigenous Justice, International Law, and genocide (amongst other things), I have found myself in an increasingly precarious position doing the work I do. Since the new UA definition of antisemitism has been endorsed by my university, I feel increasingly fearful of have my teaching censored, being censured for my teaching and advocacy, and/or facing other workplace barriers in relation to it….
Anonymous submission
‘I know of staff who have been scolded for simply speaking out about Palestine or for collaborating with Jewish staff who are challenging the IHRA definition. It's almost like they've been put on a public list, a watch list. Instead of issues being taken on about their position on Palestine, higher up staff will talk to them about their student evaluation surveys. They will escalate a student complaint. They will extend it. They will target them in terms of their subject matter. They will make life difficult for them.’
Anonymous, Educational Researchers for Palestine submission to People’s Inquiry
‘Some staff and students, with Israel/Zionist sympathies, monitor and report those who are critical of Israel and Zionism claiming they are antisemitic:
e.g., The Australian Academic Alliance Against Antisemitism offers this advice. ‘Keep a detailed record of any antisemitic incidents, noting dates, times, locations, and individuals involved. This documentation will be valuable when reporting the incident’. Photograph or video the incident if you feel safe to do so’ https://www.aaaaa.org.au/’
Anonymous, Educational Researchers for Palestine submission to People’s Inquiry
‘It's horrible as a Palestinian academic to find out that the person in charge of your tenure is someone that supports the genocide of your people. [Universities] like to purport themselves as being places of free speech, places that value the multicultural nature of staff. But there's always an exception with regard to Palestine. As a result, I'll be very, very careful in terms of attending events, in terms of who I collaborate with, who I write with. The next time someone handles a complaint from a Zionist or a random complaint from a student, I've got the added pressure of working out, ‘Is that person supportive of the genocide of my people? The ombudswoman here, made a statement showing a lot of sympathy for the victims of the Nova Festival, but none whatsoever with regards to the ongoing genocide. And that person is going to be in charge of handling my complaints. It's almost like if you speak up about Palestine you have your job security questioned or you remain silent. It's just a horrible predicament to be in.’
Anonymous, Educational Researchers for Palestine submission to People’s Inquiry
‘Universities turn progressive ideas, such as antiracism, into weapons to punish progressive people who oppose anti Palestinian racism.’
Anonymous, Educational Researchers for Palestine submission to People’s Inquiry
‘While pro-Palestinian activity has prompted an extensive crack-down on speech at the university, the university’s internal social media…has regularly since October 7, 2023, been the site of anti-Palestinian racism of a virulence and toxicity that beggars belief. This has included the extraordinary claim that Palestinians are ‘inbred’, references to ‘the animals in Gaza’, or a comment during the temporary ceasefire that ‘on the bright side it’s only two days to go until we can see them getting relentlessly carpet bombed again!’. Israel-supporting staff have also
attacked Palestine supporters, characterising them in various contexts as ‘scum’, ‘sick’, ‘brainwashed’, ‘antisemites’ or ‘racists’, motivated by ‘petty political purposes’, guilty of propaganda ‘worthy of Joseph Goebbels’, on a ‘slippery slope’ likely to lead to terrorism, and deserving of dismissal from the university.’
Anonymous submission
Organisations
The full University of Melbourne NTEU submission has been made publicly available here.
Submissions from student groups follow.
“ After putting in a Freedom of Information request for emails sent by and to the Vice Chancellor Harlene Hayne and then Chief Operating Officer Fiona Notley, we found that they had been tracking our activities and treating us with suspicion. In April 2024, a redacted emailer wrote to Notley, ‘Today I noticed members belonging to the group Students for Palestine on campus
which is very unusual for a Sunday. They were not partaking in any activity but my gut feeling say[s] we need to be alert.’ They have tracked our social media, as seen in one email ‘Attached is the post and the caption form the Students for Palestine WA Instagram. Also screen grabbed a photo shared to their story of them on the road yesterday. Been saving everything to this file’.”
Students for Palestine Curtin Uni
Disciplinary processes:
“On 20 May 2024 the same two students were emailed notice of discipline proceedings against them. The specific allegation was failing to comply with the directive to end the camp. The notice also cited clauses of the General Misconduct Statute relating to damage to property, injury to a person and disruption of "good order" in the university, but no specific allegations of this nature were made. The two students were later found not guilty of general misconduct. However, the discipline process had facilitated the intimidation of participants of the Encampment.”
“Please note that you are welcome to have a support person with you in your meeting, but that person must not be connected in any way to the allegations above, be a legal practitioner nor person with a law degree, in accordance with the General Misconduct Statute 2009. The support person’s role is to provide support to you, and they are not allowed to make submissions or present arguments on your behalf, nor act in any other way as an advocate.”
- Disciplinary letter to a student from the University’s Kat Nordern Deputy Director, Integrity and Investigations
Exclusion from Uni facilities:
“During the last week of the Encampment, three students suspected of being involved in the encampment had their student cards disabled so that they were unable to access the library after hours.”
Students for Palestine Latrobe
Presence of security at all events:
“Finally, we are concerned about the presence of security at every Students for Palestine
event. For the entirety of the second semester in 2024, the university administration
organised security to be at every event organised by Students for Palestine. Whether it is a
forum or a “chai tea and chat” casual meet-up, the university sent multiple security personnel
to watch the event. No other groups or activities at UQ have the same observable and
persistent level of surveillance. We believe this creates a perception that students who
support Palestine, are considered to be a greater security risk than other students on the
campus.”
Attempts to ban film screening, with misapplication of government law:
“ A film screening of Israelism (2023) was organised for camp attendees and community supporters. The film follows two Jewish Americans as they learn more about Israel and Palestine, and critiques the idea that all Jewish people must support the policies of the Israeli government.
The email from the University read: ‘We understand the film scheduled to be screened in the Great Court this Saturday 18 May is unclassified. It is unlawful to screen an unclassified film in a public space in Queensland, which would include the University. Under UQ policies, unlawful conduct or illegal activities are prohibited on University land, so the proposed screening must not proceed on University land.’
This information is false. The Queensland government website clearly states that “educational, current affairs, religious, social sciences and natural history films” are exempt from classification rules. The organisers of this screening contacted the Queensland government classification department and confirmed that the university’s claims were false and there was no legal reason to bar the screening.”
Students for Palestine UQ
Use of CCTV and WiFi usage to trace students:
“However, this technology now has been used to not only monitor the movement of students on the campus in an anonymous manner, but to specifically identify them without consent, and use the recordings of their whereabouts in disciplinary matters considering potential suspension, expulsion and other academic repercussions. These students were specifically targeted for their
participation/organisation of the Palestine solidarity encampment and Arts West occupation.”
Police mobilisation on campus:
On the 16th of October 2024 a pro-Palestine rally, organised by the pro-Palestine collective Students Against War, was held outside the Baillieu Library on Parkville Campus, with approximately thirty attendees. In response, the University contacted Victoria Police, and approximately ten officers showed up to monitor and police the rally. This is an unprecedented police presence, on campus, in direct response to Palestine solidarity activity.
Banning of protest activity on campus:
“ The new rules ban ‘indoor protest on our campuses and protest that obstructs entry or
exits of buildings, or that unreasonably disrupts University operations’. The rules will apply to ‘a
demonstration, rally, sit-in, occupation and other like forms of public assembly but does not include protected industrial action; and ‘other protest activity’ also includes individual forms of action’.”
Students for Palestine UniMelb
Banning of activist activities near University Guild precinct:
“Outside the Guild precinct, under the University Lands By-Laws the following is not permitted in any circumstances:
- Postering or leafleting,
- Affixing posters, signs, banners or other displays,
- Using paint, chalk or any other substance to create permanent or non-permanent signs,
- Placing leaflets on any vehicle.”
Students for Palestine - UWA