AFTER SEVERAL weeks of protesting for the University of Newcastle to cut its ties with Israel and weapons manufacturers, the institution's students for Palestine group have been called to move on from their Callaghan campus encampment.
The eviction notice comes two months after the group set up almost 30 tents at the Callaghan campus, and just days after they staged a 'die-in' to protest the university's partnerships.
The university has directed the small number of protesters remaining at the encampment to remove all tents, signage and equipment.
But UON students for Palestine member Lucy McFayden has hit back at the request and says there are no plans to pack up camp.
"It won't be packed up today. We have no plans as of yet, to pack up," she said.
While the university appreciates its students' rights to protest and champion freedom of speech, UON Deputy Vice-Chancellor professor Kent Anderson said the encampment had become a risk to people on campus.
Professor Kent said the encampment's ongoing process consisted of largely unoccupied tents and had become an "unacceptable risk".
"In recent weeks, no more than four protesters on average have been observed within the encampment at any given time," he said.
"The permanent presence of an encampment is not sustainable, given upcoming activities and the remediation work now required to repair damage from the tents and equipment that remain onsite."
Ms McFayden said during the semester break people had been sick, busy with classes and the "university is basing the occupied amount on the lowest they've seen".
"The tents are still a form of protest without being occupied, so I don't think they have any basis to make a decision based on that," she said.
Professor Kent Anderson said management representatives met with protesters again on Friday, July 12 to discuss negotiations.
"As part of the negotiations, we again offered to meet their demand for disclosure of the University's research grant arrangements related to defence," he said.
"We outlined this was our final offer in response to their full set of demands. As such, our offer was rejected."
"We also offered to have further discussions with protesters about how they might continue to exercise their right to protest, without an encampment."
Ms McFayden said student protesters expect full disclosure for the university to cut ties with whatever weapons manufacturers and Israeli companies they are partnered with.
"We're not going to go out silently, we're putting our heads together talking to the wider Newcastle community about what steps we'll take next," she said.
"We will not stay silent in the face of complicity and genocide."
