After Deakin, ANU Asks Pro-Palestinian Protestors To Vacate The Campus

The Australian National University (ANU) has asked the pro-Palestine protesters to remove the encampment from its campus by Friday or face breach of conduct.

The ANU management held a meeting with the students on Wednesday, and asked them to disband the camps and vacate, or they will be held accountable for breaching the university's code of conduct.

An ANU encampment spokesperson, who was present at the meeting, said, "We were called in ... and told we hadn't breached a code of conduct, but if we didn't vacate on Friday we could have [breached it]. ... It's outrageous," The Guardian reported.

ANU's warning comes a day after Victoria's Deakin University requested the student protesters to vacate the campus.

Student protester, Nick Reich, who was part of the meeting at ANU, said seven students present there were asked to write down the names of other protesters. He added seven of them were "arbitrarily chosen" by the campus security.

Calling the university's action a "witch-hunt," Reich said, "This is an attack on our basic rights and this is an attempt to get us to list accomplices."

However, a spokesperson for ANU denied the students were "arbitrarily chosen," adding that they were "encampment participants who have been identified as ANU students by the university. ... The meeting was constructive and respectful. The university has communicated its expectations to ANU students in this meeting."

ANU's branch of National Tertiary Education Union backed the students and confirmed they will attend the rally organized by the protesters on Thursday.

Last week, ANU suspended a student, pending disciplinary action, who said Hamas deserved "unconditional support." The university has also launched an investigation into a meeting where Nazi gestures were allegedly used during a motion put forward by the ANU Union of Jewish Students to address antisemitism.

ANU's deputy vice-chancellor (academic), Prof Grady Venville, has written to protesters reminding them of the code of conduct.

"I am informally letting you know that I have received multiple reports and complaints that the encampment in which you are participating and your behaviors are potentially in breach of the student code of conduct," she told them. "The encampment is dividing our community and causing members of our community harm."