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To: University of Sydney Vice Chancellor, Dr. Michael Spence
Will Michael Spence Guarantee the Right to Protest at the University of Sydney?
We demand that Vice Chancellor Spence:
1. Guarantee that the August 28 protest against fee increases, taking place at the University of Sydney will not be repressed. That University security will not call the NSW police to disperse a peaceful, socially distanced, demonstration, or obstruct our right to protest in any way.
2. That the University release all information about communication between security and the NSW police in the lead up to the arrests on the 1st of August.
3. If it is proven that security did call the NSW police to disperse a socially distanced gathering of students at their own university, we demand that Spence apologise to the Education Action Group and commit to paying the fines of the two activists arrested.
Why is this important?
On Friday 1 August, at a socially-distanced protest organised by the University of Sydney Education Action Group, two activists were arrested and fined $1,100. NSW riot police arrived to break up a crowd of less than 50 students and staff, who were gathering on their own campus, in a socially distanced, masked demonstration against the University's push to fire casual staff, push through redundancies and cut subjects.
What is more concerning than this blatantly cynical attack, under the guise of public health, on the right to protest? Probable collaboration between University of Sydney security who the Education Action Group alleges called the NSW Police to disperse the protest. The protest was a small gathering of less than 50 people, outdoors, with all participants wearing masks & gathering in groups of less than 20.
This is a blatant and outrageous attack on the free speech of students and staff. And it comes at a time when university management's around the country are drastically slashing subjects and jobs.
The university is meant to be a place where students can discuss and debate ideas, not just in an academic sense, but also relating to the real world. Collaboration between university management, security and the police endangers students and creates an atmosphere of censorship and the crushing of dissent. How can students pursue an interest in social justice or political issues if at any time, armed riot police may be called on them at the request of security?
Can we expect when classes return in second semester, when cafes are open, and students are expected to return to laboratories and libraries, that any display of political opposition can expect to face repression from University security and the NSW police? Students will continue to show our opposition to attacks on our education and the working conditions of our teachers in socially responsible ways. We call on Vice Chancellor Michael Spence to guarantee students the right to protest at the University of Sydney, without fear of repression.