BREAKING: In a press conference tonight, Unimelb for Palestine and Mahmoud’s Hall representatives announced they have reached a deal with the University to wrap up their protest action provided the University formally disclose their funding arrangements.
At 8:07 this morning protesters participating in a sit-in in Arts West/Mahmoud’s hall were awoken by a message over the intercom notifying them that the building was unsafe, that they were trespassing, and were liable to be face academic sanctions and police intervention.
UM4P is calling on Chancellor Jane Hanson to refrain from issuing any student protesters with academic sanctions and calls on community members to sign their petition demanding the University not go ahead with any threatened sanctions.
Staff and students at the University of Melbourne have been advised that today’s classes will not be held in Arts West, which students have renamed Mahmoud’s Hall. Protesters continue to occupy the building until the University meets their demands to divest.
CFMEU organiser Mick Myles set to speak at the 5pm NTEU rally at Arts West/Mahmoud’s Hall, with the CFMEU having raised Palestinian flags across CBD construction sites.
Update from Day 5 at Arts West/Mahmoud’s Hall. Despite the University’s various threats of police intervention the sit-in remains peaceful and in high spirits. Elevators have resumed functioning in a limited capacity.
The University of Melbourne NTEU Branch have voted in favour of four motions including expressing their support for UM4P, the South Lawn Gaza Solidarity Encampment, and the demands by UM4P of the University to divest and disclose ties to weapons manufacturers.
Participants of the Gaza Solidarity Encampment has occupied Arts West building earlier today. UM4P has raised a banner at Arts West renaming it to ‘Mahmoud’s Hall’
BREAKING: Students are rallying outside the Melbourne Law School in support of Dr. Eddie Cubillo, a Larrakia, Wadjigan and Central Arrernte man who resigned as associate dean last week alleging widespread institutional anti-Indigenous racism in the faculty.
#unimelb
#auspol
University of Melbourne security has put up a new poster outside Arts West/Mahmoud’s Hall, informing the closure of the building for safety reasons.
Protesters have written over the poster indicating the building accessible and welcome to both students and staff.
It’s been a week since protesters at the University of Melbourne begun their sit-in at the Arts West building, what they are now calling “Mahmoud’s Hall”.
Farrago journalist Mathilda Stewart reports on what has gone down at the sit-in over the last week.
Wholesome scenes at
#NUSnatcon
when delegates and observers from all factions dance together on the conference floor. Looks like SAlt are refusing to join in though 😢
#nusnatcon
Staff are picketing outside The Spot, where a meeting of the University Executive — who are meeting to discuss the University's response to the NTEU's bargaining claims — is currently taking place.
#unimelbstrikes
#unimelb
#auspol
#lifeatunimelb
Notices around campus gates state that non staff and students protesting or planning to protest on University grounds are trespassing and may be referred to Victoria Police, citing Vice-Chancellor Regulation Section 15 and authorised by Duncan Maskell.
Crowds of both students and staff protestors continue to grow and have extended to the back of Arts West building, barricading alternative entrances to the building
A protest led by Students For Palestine has commenced outside of Melbourne Law School ahed of a lecture on human rights in which MP Josh Burns is set to speak.
Students have been advised to leave now and that another warning would be issued at 9am. Outside, security guards are attempting to request the student card details of those entering the building. Inside, protesters are organising an emergency rally.
BREAKING: The installation of the University of Melbourne's 23rd Chancellor Jane Hansen AO on Wednesday has been cancelled due to a "planned protest" — presumably the 2-hour staff strike called by the NTEU yesterday to coincide with the event.
More to come.
#UniMelb
#NTEU
In a video leaked by UM4P Deputy VC Michael Wesley alleges protesters have crossed “red lines” and “will face disciplinary action and police action” and that management is consulting with police about how to “end the protest and the occupation.”
Earlier tonight, the Gaza Solidarity Encampment was attacked with glass bottles, bats and fire extinguishers.
Farrago will report further details once we can confirm.
Students and staff have gathered outside Raymond Priestly for an NTEU rally, protesting the University’s treatment of staff involved in the Mahmoud’s Hall/Arts West sit-in.
“We face these disciplinary actions solely on the basis of expressing solidarity with Palestinians.”
Staff at the University of Melbourne will strike from 12PM today, with NTEU members in the Faculty of Arts, Melbourne Law School, VCA School of Art, FFAM Stagecraft division, the University Library and Stop 1 to strike for all of Week 6.
#unimelbstrikes
#unimelb
#lifeatunimelb
“I’ve been precariously employed for years by uni after uni… That’s why I’ll go on strike again and again and again, even when it’s cold and the jammies look better.”
#unimelbstrikes
#nteu
Students for Palestine’s Mass Meeting, protesting the University’s ties to weapons manufacturing companies, has kicked off in the Amphitheater on Parkville campus.
“We stand with the Palestinians, and we do it proudly.”
NTEU members and staff have addressed protestors asking to;
-Actively disengage
-Police liaisons to only speak with police
-Rendezvous at the Conservatorium of Music if protestors are asked to evacuate campus
BREAKING: The University of Melbourne has just announced they will transition all classes online by March 30. Lectures with more than 500 people will go online by 17 March. Mid-semester break has also been extended by a week.
Day 7 at Unimelb Gaza Solidarity Encampment on South Lawn. Today, agitators approached the camp, although organisers direct participants to remain unresponsive and peaceful and report harassment to Safer Communities and APAN.
Communicating with protestors Pip Nicholson has said “Police will patrol through the night… Your peers won’t want this to continue into the morning.”
Protesters appear ready to remain in Arts West.
Police liaison have advised protestors to;
-Disconnect devices from University wifi
-Remove Face ID
-Turn mobile phones off if talking with a police officer (to stop GPS tracking etc)
Cultural Studies Professor Chris Healy: “You are perpetuating some of the very proud traditions of this University.”
“Disruption is the purpose of peaceful protest.”
Day 8 of the Gaza Solidarity Encampment on the South Lawn of the University of Melbourne.
A rally organised by the Australasian Union of Jewish Students is planned to begin at 1pm.
NTEU member Conor Brett kicks off the rally, condemns the University’s ties to colonialism and imperialism and its complicity in genocide.
A student protester speaks next, rebuking the claim that they are ‘outside agitators’ and unsafe. “We are the University. We are peaceful.”
Unimelb for Palestine have reiterated that they organised and endorse the Gaza Solidarity Encampment on South Lawn and that the ongoing building occupation was an autonomously organised student action. Unimelb for Palestine support the autonomous students’ protest action.
While most students that have joined the staff strikes have done so in solidarity, some—including Emily and Neera—have another reason to join the pickets.
They don't just study at UniMelb; they work here too.
Chelsea Daniel reports.
#unimelb
#auspol
Voting in the 2024 UMSU Election is now closed! Counting is planned to commence at 5:30pm AEST, and Farrago will report the provisional results of single-member positions below! 🗳️🗳️🗳️
The University previously deactivated elevators in the building days ago, disrupting disabled students and staff’s capacity to access teaching facilities and offices.
Front entrance to the Arts West building have been locked by the University, while NTEU members form a picket line outside
Protestors have kept access to the stairways and classrooms in Arts West for students and staff
Farrago is at the University of Sydney for the Student Media Conference, hosted by our friends/rivals
@honi_soit
!!
We’re set to kick off with the Opening Ceremony featuring Antoinette Lattouf this morning (provided NLS doesn’t pull quorum).
Despite our requests, The Australian neglected to include a link to the Farrago article they criticised. The writing was taken out of context, so here’s a link so that you can make up your own mind about whether it was targeting conservative students:
A speaker from the sit-in reads an email from new Dean of Arts Leslie Stirling, encouraging Arts staff to avoid Arts West/Mahmoud’s Hall.
Conor reads Jordy Silverstein’s message. “Our work cannot in any way be connected to the machinery of genocide or colonisation.”
They reassert their renaming of Arts West as Mahmoud’s Hall in recognition of Mahmoud Alnaouq, a 25 year old Palestinian scholarship recipient killed in an Israeli air strike in October, along with his family.
“He would and should have had classes in this building.”
OPINION: "We fully support the industrial action that has been taken this week, and we blame management for the disruption to our tuition."
Read the open letter from students in the Arts faculty to VC Duncan Maskell and Dean of Arts Russell Goulbourne:
In a shakeup to the EdCon reporting landscape, Farrago will be rating factional lunch choices to work out what fuels this conference. Send here:
First off is NLS, with a lunch dangerously close to being described as a 'breakfast of champions'.
#nusedcon23
The University has disabled student access to elevators in Arts West/Mahmoud’s Hall.
Amid protesters’ tents and banners, students are studying, playing music and sharing food.
Inside Arts West, A participant of the demonstration addressing protestors have said “The uni has not called the cops. The cops are acting on their own. We are not likely to see a full-scale invasion.”
BREAKING: Farrago has been leaked the NUS positions that have been elected unopposed, including Ngaire Bogemann (UniMelb, NLS) as President and Jonathan De La Pena (Deakin, Unity) as General Secretary.
#nusnatcon23
#BREAKING
:
@unimelb
has made changes to the semester one WAM. Results will not be included unless the mark achieved for semester one subjects is equal to or higher than a student’s WAM at the beginning of semester
BREAKING: University of Melbourne staff today voted to accept the enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA) proposed by University management, following almost a year of industrial action from the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU).
#unimelbstrikes
We have been bamboozled. Apparently the whole thing was planned by NLS headkickers for the meme. I guess the NLS preselection caucus is more disciplined than the dart caucus.
We forgive them because it was funny, and our fault for trusting the rumour mill.
#natcon22
The four motions include calls for the University to protect staff and students’ freedom of speech and academic expression, to provide Scholars at Risk placements for staff from destroyed Palestinian universities and to repeal the IHRA definition of antisemitism.
Student Unity refused to sign this Student Media procedural motion. It asks for the announcement attached below to be read to the
#nusnatcon19
floor. Unity demanded a ‘right of reply’ this morning, and then denied us that very thing.
University of Melbourne Council Member Mark Leibler has condemned the University of Sydney’s agreement with the Sydney University Muslim Students Association to disclose and review University research partnerships, amongst other commitments.
Submissions for Farrago Edition 2 are open and the theme is 'Folklore'! Tell us all about the scarf you left at your ex-boyfriend's sister's house, the old wives' tales your mother told you as a kid, the feminine urge to become a forest nymph, and everything in between.
Over in a nondescript building nearby, we have veteran Farrago reporter Alan Nguyen ready to develop our data visualisations -- this will be Alan's final UMSU election before he moves onto UNSW. We thank him for his service.
Breaking🚨 Sydney University student newspaper Honi Soit’s website was hacked last night by a self-identified compsci student wishing to highlight vulnerabilities in Honi’s cybersecurity, threatening to reupload their message if security isn’t improved.
“Do not test me please.”
A group of students have been disrupting classes taking place in Old Arts, including a lesson on decolonial theory, to plug the strike and tell staff and students to walk off.
One tutor responded they were too precarious to strike.
#unimelbstrikes
#lifeatunimelb
#unimelb
BREAKING: The University of Melbourne is being taken to court by the Fair Work Ombudsman over an alleged $154,424 underpayment of 14 casual staff in the Faculty of Arts, and the alleged creation of 'false and misleading records'. Full story to come.
A Special Meeting of the Students' Council opens at 12:07pm. On the agenda for today, a single motion -- "UMSU Stance on the War in Gaza," calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. The motion comes after months of community consultation.
A rally kick off at 5pm this evening outside Arts West/Mahmoud’s Hall supporting the building occupation and Solidarity Encampment. The rally earlier heard from an NTEU delegate Joshua. Speakers have condemned Albanese’s denouncement of “From the river to the sea.”
Protesters have been asked to leave Arts West peacefully by Deputy Vice Chancellor Pip Nicholson and told that the University does not want escalation or violence.
Protesters do not appear to be planning on leaving.
BREAKING: Student activists have locked themselves onto Raymond Priestley, preventing staff from accessing the building, to protest the University’s collaboration with weapons-manufacturing companies.
Farrago is at the University of Queensland for the 2023 National Union of Students Education Conference!
We'll be covering the fights, fracas, and frank discussions throughout the week in sunny Brisvegas.
First impressions: it's going to be a long week.
#nusedcon23
#edcon23
Palestinian activist speaking to the protesters “Can you feel the generations that have been murdered, tortured, imprisoned, dehumanized for generations. The homes turned to rubbles and the graves that have been desecrated…That is violence... Not the students…”
Farrago will support protestors on the ground and share with the community accurate, real-time coverage of the event Stop Black Deaths in Custody - Justice for George Floyd
#BLM
. Bla(c)k lives matter. Indigenous lives matter.
Reporting Officer Stephen Luntz advises that the wait will continue yet, but that the voter turnout was around 7000 -- the highest vote count in recent memory.
“I was so far away from the blockade itself that I genuinely couldn’t hear anything that was being said by police”
@AilishHallinan
when asked if she heard warnings about the pepper spray
Georgie Beatty gave a short interview, saying that a faction with the demonstrated record and behaviour of SAlt do not deserve the Ed Office.
#natcon22
BREAKING: NLS are actively and openly lobbying Unity to renege on their deal with SAlt, which would block SAlt from getting Ed Officer. Thanks to
@FarragoMagazine
for tip
Unity speaker is now talking about not only the history of rail but also his passion for the mode of transport.
"I fuckin [sic] love trains, anything that runs on rails really
"rail is great, roads are shit"
This is a good time
#nusnatcon
Protestors address the University’s response to the ongoing rally at Arts West/ Mahmoud’s Hall “I want to say this is why it’s important to read… because this is a PR disaster for you … on the day of the Nabka!…”
The Farrago team is back in Melbourne after an *eventful* NUS EdCon 2023.
Shoutout to our amazing student media colleagues who joined us in the trenches: Will from
@Tertangala
, Andrew from
@Grok_con
and Celeste
@comeswithcats
and Ben from QUT Glass—absolute legends!
#nusedcon23