by Jewish News Channel
Tuesday, May 28, 2024 at 12:07 PM
Pro-Palestine Protestors Leave Melbourne University Pigsty
A photo has surfaced online causing outrage as it shows piles of discarded items, such as tents, tarps, and rubbish, left behind at the University of Melbourne following the disbandment of a pro-Palestine protest encampment. The protest began several weeks ago on the South Lawn of the campus and at other universities across Australia.
On May 15, around 100 people escalated the protest by staging a sit-in at the Arts West building, leading the university to cancel classes. Tensions rose last week when University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor Duncan Maskell issued a notice warning that police would be called in if students, staff, and alumni continued to protest against Israel’s actions in Gaza.
On Wednesday, a spokesperson for UniMelb for Palestine told The ABC that the encampment would end after the university agreed to disclose any connections with weapon manufacturers. “After months of campaigning, rallies, petitions, meetings, and in recent weeks, the encampment, the University of Melbourne has finally agreed to meet an important demand of our campaign,” the spokesperson said.
Despite what the protestors considered a “major win,” they began to disband late last week. However, a photo posted on Reddit early Monday morning showed numerous items, including tables, tents, blankets, chairs, and helmets, still scattered across the South Lawn.
“The encampment ended three days ago. The uni has commenced clean up today,” said the passerby who took the image.
The image sparked a divisive reaction online. While some were willing to give the protestors the benefit of the doubt, others expressed disappointment over the messy aftermath, comparing it to a “bush doof.” One commenter questioned the wastefulness, saying, “How can people just waste money like that? I don’t understand this mentality, leaving perfectly good blankets and tents behind.”
A spokesperson for UniMelb for Palestine said that students had been given until Monday morning to “collect and organise everything on the South Lawn,” insisting that there was no rubbish left behind, only camping gear.
“The remaining belongings are still being collected and the rest will be donated to charities. Everything left is still being organised by the members,” they said. “We’re organising with charities as well, and that takes some time considering the fact that it was over the weekend.”
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