For two weeks now, pro-Palestinian protesters have been camping out on university campuses in major cities across Australia. Their goal is to protest Israel’s offensive in Gaza and demand that universities cut ties with Israel and suspend research partnerships with weapons manufacturers. Unlike in the USA, there have been no reported arrests for violence at these protests in Australia.
On Friday, pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel protesters clashed at the University of Sydney, the country’s oldest university. The Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported a confrontation between the two groups, but security personnel were able to intervene and prevent further escalation. The vice-chancellor of the University of Sydney, Mark Scott, emphasized the importance of allowing both sides to express their opinions in a peaceful manner.
Scott mentioned that not all protesters were students and that some may not be fully committed to peaceful participation. He assured that the university is working closely with security and police to ensure the safety of everyone involved in the protests. Despite tensions running high, the situation in Australia has not escalated to the same level of violence seen in some American campuses.
