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A wave of restrictions on protesting has been rippling through Australia's top universities. Over the past year, all of Australia's eight top research universities (the Group of Eight) have individually increased restrictions on campus protests. The changes include bans on indoor protests and restrictions on banners, posters and student announcements.
At some campuses, groups need to give notice or obtain university approval if they are going to protest. Why has this happened and what does it mean for protests, free speech and democracy at Australian universities? Why are university protests important? Over the past 60 years, campus protests have been a defining feature of Australian university life. In the 1960s and '70s, they were a breeding ground for social protest, including rallies against apartheid and the Vietnam War, and in favour of women's rights.
In more recent years, students have protested on key social, political and environmental issues, from university fees to the invasion of Iraq and climate action. This protest history feeds into the broader purposes of universities. Universities act as a modern-day "public square".
This means they are a place where ideas can be freely debated and difficult issues can be explored. In this way, they act as a key component of a free and healthy democracy. As Victorian university legislation notes, universities should promote critical and free enquiry, informed intellectual discourse and public debate within the University and in the wider society.
Restricting protests for campus safety Since early 2024, there have been increasing restrictions on campus protests. These come in the wake of the months-long encampments protesting the war in Gaza – and ensuing concerns over antisemitism at universities and campus safety. They have also coincided with increased public scrutiny over university governance.
This includes accusations vice-chancellors are running a "lawless sector,"...
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