Pro-Palestinian Protests Across Australian Campuses Echo US Movement

Students protesting Israel's offensive in Gaza set up encampments across Australian university campuses Friday, demanding their institutions cut ties with the Middle Eastern country and research partnerships with weapons manufacturers.

The protests, which mirror the ones spreading across the U.S., has spanned the last two weeks and saw students pitch tents at universities in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Canberra to show solidarity with the U.S. university movement, the Associated Press reported.

Pockets of violence unfolded in several locations as pro-Palestinian rallies clashed with pro-Israeli supporters. Following a day of violence at the University of Melbourne campus Thursday, the two opponent group members clashed again at the University of Sydney, one of the most prestigious universities, ABC News reported.

Supporters of both sides eventually retreated given the heavy security presence. However, the Associated Press reported that the protests didn't warrant any arrests, as the violence haven't been as intense as seen in the U.S.

University of Sydney Vice Chancellor Mark Scott said the authorities were ready to assist a peaceful dialogue between both groups of protesters.

"They may strongly disagree with the matters that have been discussed. ... We can host that conversation and we should be able to do that in a non-threatening way," he told ABC.

This week, rallies at Australian universities resulted in almost 1,000 arrests, and students were evicted from campus accommodations, ABC reported. Pro-Palestinian supporters at Columbia University initiated the U.S. protests and they soon spread across the country, drawing international limelight.

Federal Victorian MP Josh Burns advised students to embrace their fundamental right to peaceful protests and not take cues from the U.S. instances.