The Curtin University Student Guild has released a statement after members of the pro-Palestine encampment took over the campus’ engineering building yesterday afternoon.
While previously supportive of the protest, the guild has stated it believed the right to study and access teaching facilities in a safe way was more important.
Students for Palestine protesters take over the engineering building at Curtin University on Wednesday.Credit: Instagram
“This action was undertaken without the prior knowledge and approval of the Curtin Student Guild or Curtin Palestinian Society, and the guild does not support or endorse the actions of the group,” they wrote in an Instagram post.
“The Gaza solidarity encampment has been respectful and peaceful, and the guild has been in ongoing negotiations with the university to reach a resolution.”
Ahead of Wednesday’s protest, Erin Russell from Students for Palestine WA claimed the Curtin vice chancellor had refused to address the group publicly.
“We will be protesting to say that this is not good enough, we demand more, and we are willing to escalate,” she said.
In a statement, a Curtin spokesperson said the university was “extremely disappointed.”
“Today’s move inside our buildings was an unacceptable breach. Curtin supports freedom of speech and discourse, but only when it is civil and respectful of others,” a spokeswoman said.