War in Gaza tests free speech limits at Sydney University

The Gaza conflict is testing the limits of freedom of speech on campus after the University of Sydney in Australia warned that it won’t tolerate support of Hamas’s attack and the vice-chancellor moved to ban a pro-Palestinian student meeting, dividing opinion among academics, writes Daniella White for The Sydney Morning Herald.

Jewish groups have welcomed the approach and have urged other universities to follow its lead, saying it has calmed tensions on campus.

University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor Mark Scott wrote to staff and students on 26 October, in what was a marked shift from previous communications on the war, saying the institution “will not tolerate any pro-terrorist statements or commentary, including support for Hamas’s recent terrorist attacks”. Last week, Scott also moved to shut down a planned student meeting titled ‘Palestine: the case for a global intifada’, saying it could be reasonably interpreted as supporting terrorism based on its promotional posters.
Full report on The Sydney Morning Herald site