University of Tasmania students are demanding the institution cut ties with Israeli universities and weapons companies, as a global academic boycott against Israel intensifies.
Students have maintained an encampment at Sandy Bay campus since May 7, calling for the university to end all relationships with organisations linked to Israel and weapons research.
However, administrators have told students they have no intention of ending relationships with Israel-linked institutions and are unwilling to take a public position on the atrocities unfolding in Palestine.
“UTAS is more concerned about funding than whether they’re propping up a genocide,” one student told Pulse.
“They love to spruik their clean, sustainable image. How sustainable is ethnic cleansing? How environmentally-friendly is firebombing refugee camps? The hypocrisy is staggering.”
Students have condemned UTAS’s partnership with German military multinational HENSOLDT, which provides Israel’s military with radar and surveillance systems.
UTAS has reportedly given HENSOLDT an office in Hobart’s CBD as part of their 2021 Southern Guardian Partnership for satellite monitoring research.
The students at the encampment are also demanding UTAS end their involvement with Thales, an equipment company accused of facilitating war crimes in Yemen, and Lockheed Martin, one of the world’s largest arms contractors.
In the last five years, UTAS has also formed partnerships with construction manufacturer Caterpillar.
The students allege the three companies are currently equipping the Israeli Occupation Forces with the tools being used in the war.
“All of our demands are simple and achievable,” one student said.
“If UTAS claims these demands can’t be put into practise, they’re trying to talk their way out of the problem. But we aren’t going away and we won’t let them try to wait us out.”
The students’ demands for UTAS include:
* Demanding an immediate ceasefire in Palestine
* Divesting from all Israeli companies and institutions
* Demilitarising, permanently ending all funding arrangements and research with arms companies and militaries
* Disclosing all military/weaponry funding and partnerships on an ongoing basis
* Joining the global academic boycott of Israeli institutions
In response to a line of questioning by Pulse, University of Tasmania Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Anderson said the University has has been “in conversation” with the students at the encampment since they first set up in early May.
“The University has maintained an ongoing dialogue with the students protesting on campus. As we have said previously, we value and will protect freedom of speech on our campuses.”
