University of Melbourne ‘sharply’ changed protest policies after pro-Palestine sit-ins, commission hears

• 01Prof Glyn Davis, interim vice-chancellor of the University of Melbourne, testified that the university implemented new protest policies including prohibitions on outsiders protesting on campus, banning camping on-site, and banning indoor protests.
• 02Davis stated that the University of Melbourne revised its Wi-Fi usage policies after a commissioner found the institution breached Victoria’s Privacy and Data Protection Act by using Wi-Fi to surveil protesters, and the university now provides clear warnings when surveillance occurs.
• 03Davis reported that the University of Melbourne is considering reforms to its postering rules to identify the authors of posters, following requests from Professor Steven Prawer regarding offensive material.
• 04Professor Steven Prawer testified that the university must demonstrate it does not tolerate misbehavior after student expulsions for occupying his office were overturned, and he requested the identities of his protesters be revealed for his protection.
• 05Davis disagreed with revealing the identities of the 20 students who occupied Prawer's office, arguing that disclosing their names would make "a stain on the rest of their lives."
• 06Prof Mark Scott, vice-chancellor of the University of Sydney, stated the university disbanding its pro-Palestine encampment forcibly could have caused the protest to expand, and acknowledged a failure to sufficiently consult with Jewish groups.
• 07The University of Sydney introduced policies requiring demonstration organizers to notify management, banning encampments and indoor protests, and requiring authorization details on posters, which Scott said resulted in a significant reduction in student complaints.
• 08The University of Sydney has a policy that freedom of speech does not apply to statements where individuals are not prepared to put their names to them.
• 09Victoria police maintained they would not intervene in the University of Melbourne's South Lawn encampment unless a law was broken, despite Davis acknowledging that heckling and harassment occurred during the protest.

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University leaders testified at the royal commission into antisemitism that they have implemented stricter protest policies, including bans on encampments and indoor demonstrations, following incidents involving pro-Palestine sit-ins and harassment claims. While University of Melbourne vice-chancellor Glyn Davis cited changes to Wi-Fi surveillance and postering rules, University of Sydney vice-chancellor Mark Scott justified disbanding a campus encampment as necessary for safety, though he admitted insufficient engagement with Jewish students. Both institutions reported reduced complaints following these policy shifts, while Davis declined to reveal the identities of specific protesters involved in office occupations.