Key facts
- The Australian National University's acting provost denied the university lost control of its campus to a pro-Palestine encampment.
- An internal safety review of the ANU encampment found high psychosocial risks.
- The ANU attempted to disband the encampment multiple times.
- The ANU announced it would not invest in controversial weapons manufacturers.
- An investigation into an alleged Nazi salute at an ANU meeting found no misconduct.
The Australian National University's acting provost, Prof. Joan Leach, denied that the university "lost control" of its campus to a pro-Palestine encampment that was established in April 2024. Appearing before a royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion, Leach revealed that an internal safety review finalized in October 2024 rated the encampment's psychosocial risks as "high." The university made multiple attempts to disband the encampment, which was set up in solidarity with Palestinians and protested the university's links to weapons manufacturers. The encampment eventually ended due to a dispute over electricity and lighting. Leach stated that while there were concerns about risks to students and the university community, she would not characterize the situation as a loss of control. Security services actively monitored the encampment and encouraged students who felt pressured to stay to leave. Separately, the commission heard that the University of Melbourne had "sharply" changed its protest policies following similar pro-Palestine sit-ins in 2024. These new policies prohibit external protesters, ban camping, and forbid indoor protests. These changes followed incidents that created a sense of fear and unsafety, though misconduct was not claimed to be antisemitic. The University of Melbourne also revisited its wifi surveillance policies after a privacy breach during a sit-in and is considering requiring author identification on posters. The commission is examining the experiences of Jewish students and academics and universities' responses to antisemitism and protests. Leach also addressed an alleged Nazi salute at a student association meeting in May 2024, stating that an investigation found no misconduct, with other students interpreting the gesture as not being a Nazi salute. The ANU Students' Association meeting was attended by approximately 500 people and included debate on the pro-Palestine encampment and the experiences of Jewish students on campus.