Sydney Staff for BDS condemns the disciplinary proceedings the University of Sydney is taking against Palestine advocates on campus, as announced<\/a> by the Vice-Chancellor, Dr Michael Spence, today. The university\u2019s move follows the protest on March 11 at a talk by Mr Richard Kemp<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe University of Sydney claims to be committed to the struggle against racism and discrimination,\u201d said Dr Nick Riemer from SSBDS. \u201cBut today Michael Spence has shown what side he is actually on. The Israel lobby only had to snap its fingers and the university jumped to take action against Palestine advocates. We call on supporters of peace and justice in the Middle East to write to Dr Spence demanding that no sanctions be made and a full statement of the University\u2019s opposition to Israeli violations of international law and Palestinian human rights be issued.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt couldn\u2019t be clearer that the university has been taking part in the Israel lobby’s witch hunt against Jake Lynch,\u201d Riemer continued. \u201cThe complaints made against Lynch constitute the latest chapter in the ongoing campaign against him for his promotion of the Palestinian call to boycott Israel. It is scandalous that the University of Sydney has been collaborating with this campaign. The fact that it is doing so is consistent with Sydney\u2019s extensive support for Israeli universities, which continue to play a key role in sustaining the occupation, and in Israel’s onslaughts on Gaza.\u201d<\/p>\n The university\u2019s decision to escalate its action against Palestine advocates comes despite an open letter<\/a> with over 1500 signatories calling on Dr Spence \u201cnot to allow [him]self to be made the agent of the Israel lobby\u2019s persecution of those committed to a just peace in the Middle East\u201d. Signatories to the letter include Desmond Tutu, Julian Burnside AM QC, Noam Chomsky, John Pilger, Mary Kostakidis, Mike Carlton, Richard Falk, (former UN special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories), federal and state politicians, and staff of universities on every continent.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will not be deterred by this attempt to silence Palestine activism at Sydney,\u201d Dr Riemer said. \u201cWe will continue to speak the truth about Israel\u2019s crimes and the University of Sydney\u2019s complicity with them. It will not be too long before Sydney University\u2019s cooperation with Israel and its lobby is seen as the serious stain on the university\u2019s reputation that it is.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFrom the university\u2019s announcement today, we can only conclude that it intends to bully Palestine supporters, including young students and human rights activists. Protest is inherently disruptive. Protesters at Kemp’s lecture were conscientiously exercising their civil liberties on a matter of major international importance. Richard Kemp has the world\u2019s media at his disposal. To appeal to freedom of speech as grounds to punish Palestine advocates for interrupting Kemp is deeply hypocritical.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe University of Sydney must not declare itself off-limits for political action in favour of Palestine,\u201d Riemer said. \u201cGoing after staff and students for their political views is a chilling outcome for Australia\u2019s oldest university and the proud traditions of political dissent it embodies. Sydney must not side with a nuclear power to intimidate a small band of human rights activists. Doing so would make a mockery of the university\u2019s claims to care about justice and anti-racism. How many of the Freedom Ride protesters, whom the university now celebrates, were involved in disruptive protest as a key mechanism to advance the cause of Indigenous rights?\u201d<\/p>\n The university\u2019s announcement of charges follows a highly compromised investigation, which saw the university lying to its staff about the identity of the investigator in charge. Staff voluntarily participating in the enquiry were told that this investigator was external and independent, when in fact she is listed in the university phone book as an employee. The National Tertiary Education Union has written to the university making the point that this gives every impression of an attempt to entrap staff, and can only raise serious questions about senior management\u2019s good faith.<\/p>\n As revealed in a letter<\/a> to New Matilda by the talk\u2019s organisers, Richard Kemp appeared on campus with the blessing of the Vice-Chancellor\u2019s office. In 2013, by contrast, the university tried to ban the Dalai Lama. Last year, it banned Uthman Badar from appearing on campus.<\/p>\n \u201cTo punish Palestine justice advocates in the name of freedom of speech is highly paradoxical. If it really cared about either freedom of speech or human rights, the university would not be cracking down on political protest on campus. This is a shocking development for political freedom and civil liberties at Sydney University, and beyond,\u201d Riemer said.<\/p>\n Sydney Staff for BDS urges Dr Spence to protect his own reputation and that of the University of Sydney by strongly reaffirming the university\u2019s independence from political interference, and by refusing to side with Andrew Bolt, Tim Blair and the other voices calling for Lynch to be dismissed and Palestine activists to be silenced.<\/p>\n More information: Nick Riemer, 0481 339 937 nick.riemer@sydney.edu.au; David Brophy, 0434 026 003 david.brophy@sydney.edu.au<\/p>\n See SSBDS’ statement on the original enquiry, and our press dossier, here<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 15\/4\/2015, 23:40. For immediate release Sydney Staff for BDS condemns the disciplinary proceedings the University of Sydney is taking against Palestine advocates on campus, as announced by the Vice-Chancellor, Dr Michael Spence, today. The university\u2019s move follows the protest on … Continue reading