Student encampment protest FAQs

Yes. The University’s policies guarantee academic freedom and freedom of speech, allowing all students and staff to express their views in accordance with Australian law and our codes of conduct. ANU has a long history of student activism.

Staff and students are able to freely assemble, protest and make their voices heard. Any protest at ANU must be conducted safely and respectfully, without causing harm or damage to our campus or community.

ANU has robust research policies that uphold academic freedom. All ANU scholars are able to undertake research in line with these policies and without fear of interference. The University does not dictate or interfere in research topics or conclusions. The University’s research activities adhere to stringent ethical and security standards overseen by the Human Research Ethics Committee and the Foreign Interference Advisory Committee (FIAC).

For more insights, read Chair of ANU Academic Board Professor Anthony Connolly's explainer, Academic freedom at ANU: balancing rights and responsibilities.

ANU is committed to free speech and academic freedom and has a long history of student activism.

All students and staff are entitled to exercise their right to free speech and protest at ANU, as long as this is in accordance with Australian law, the University’s code of conduct and is safe for our entire campus and community.

Staff and student codes of conduct are available online.

The encampment in Kambri occupied the primary emergency evacuation site for people living in, visiting, and using Kambri. This includes a student residence for 400 students, major teaching and study areas, a medical centre, a gym and swimming pool, a cultural centre accommodating 1,000 visitors, and businesses open to the public.

While ANU had earlier identified an alternative evacuation point to service this highly used and heavily-populated area of campus since the encampment’s inception, a recent real-time fire evacuation exercise found this alternative location is not only unsuitable but potentially dangerous.

During a fire alarm evacuation of the residential hall and the Cultural Centre in Kambri, the alternate assemble area failed. This failure and unacceptable risk to health and safety was immediately reported by relevant University authorities and investigated accordingly.

On the basis of this investigation, ANU has deemed the situation an intolerable risk to students, staff, and wider public, and has taken immediate action to remove this risk.

Read more about the direction and why the University has given this direction to participants at our statement here. You can also read the Order to Vacate notice issued on 27 May 2024.

Yes.

We understand the directive order on 27 May may have caused inconvenience, however the safety of our University community is our top priority.

The University has identified two other locations for peaceful protest that respects the safety of all of our community.

These locations include the grassed area at the end of University Avenue near the North Road junction, or alternatively on the lawns at the front of the Chancelry building. As of 28 May, the encampment participants have moved their protest site to an alternative venue on University Avenue, near the AD Hope Building. ANU has provided options for protestors to continue their protests in ways that are respectful and safe for the entire University community and campus.

Yes. The University is willing to keep working with students to exercise their right to free speech and protest in ways that are appropriate for our campus, and which also ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone on our campus.

Part of being a staff or student member of the community is upholding the values and our shared responsibility to foster a campus which is inclusive of everyone.

Students are still able to protest about the ongoing conflict in Gaza and Israel, and ANU continues to facilitate protests on this issue in ways that are appropriate for our campus and which ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone in our community.

ANU does not comment on specific disciplinary matters.

However, the University can confirm it has a number of disciplinary inquiries currently under way for alleged behaviour or speech that contravenes our values as a community, and which go against our codes of conduct.

ANU takes these matters seriously and provides procedural fairness and support for all students.

If our codes of conduct, student discipline rule or values as a community are found to have been breached appropriate action will be taken by ANU.

ANU is a place of respectful debate and we are proud of our long history of student political engagement.

All staff and students are free to express themselves and protest in line with the University's Academic Freedom and Freedom of Speech policies.

With these rights come responsibilities.

Student responsibilities are clearly outlined in the Student Code of Conduct and the Discipline Rule.

As members of the ANU community, we uphold our core values including safety and wellbeing, inclusion and accountability.

Fenner Hall is home to more than 450 students who rely on the Kambri lawn as their primary spot to safely gather during any emergency. There are approximately 200 ANU staff working in the precinct, including the Di Riddell and the Health and Wellbeing buildings, who also rely on the Kambri lawn for any emergency.

Kambri is also adjacent to the Chifley Library, which operates 24/7 and provides more than 640 study spaces. These spaces operate at full capacity in peak periods, including at the end of semester and exams, which are now taking place at ANU.

The University also calculates that during our end of semester exam period there will be 73,600 student movements in and out of the campus during the coming exam period, many of them through Kambri precinct and using rooms in buildings in Kambri for examinations.

The University quickly identified an alternative evacuation point for Kambri as soon as the encampment was established.

However, a recent real-time fire evacuation of Fenner Hall found this alternative location is not only unsuitable but potentially dangerous.

The failure of the identified evacuation point in Kambri and the unacceptable risk this posed to health and safety was immediately reported by relevant University authorities and investigated accordingly.

On the basis of this investigation, ANU has deemed the current situation an intolerable risk to students, staff, and wider public, and has taken immediate action to remove this risk.

Yes.

The vacant Kambri lawn is once again the primary evacuation point for the Kambri precinct.

We have communicated this update to the members of our community based in the precinct.

On 23 July, ANU informed participants in the encampment that the University will be switching off power to site. 

This follows the failure of encampment participants to follow a reasonable direction from the University and allow the inspection of the site for potential safety hazards, of which ANU has recently become aware. In particular, the University is aware that electrical appliances and heaters being brought to the encampment create an elevated risk of fire or electrocution. 

Under Work Health and Safety laws, ANU is required to ensure activities on its campus are conducted safely. This includes taking action to mitigate known risks. The development of a large, enclosed marquee-style structure and other obstructions within the encampment means it is no longer possible for ANU operations staff to assess safety externally. 

Recent attempts by ANU operations staff to inspect the encampment have been refused, which is why the power has been turned off. 

The University requires access to all parts of the campus to satisfy itself about the safety of facilities and the wellbeing of people using campus, including staff, students and visitors. 

Failure to comply with a formal direction from a University official could constitute a breach of the ANU Code of Conduct and lead to disciplinary action. 

Since the encampment began, ANU has communicated that power sources may be used to charge devices such as laptops and phones, but that no further use such as appliances will be permitted.

The University has switched off power supply to the encampment to remove any potential safety risk. Power will remain disconnected until the University is able to adequately inspect the site and asses any potential risk. 

ANU has continued to provide security for the encampment, including regular patrols around the site and welfare checks. All encampment participants have access to a range of amenities, including microwaves, showers, hot water and dedicated student spaces within short walking distance. 

The encampment is located near to the Kambri precinct, which includes the student centre, food outlets and the Chifley Library which is open 24/7. 

Both the Chifley Library and Marie Reay buildings have power outlets for charging mobile phones and laptops to support study, and tested hot water taps for making tea and coffee. 

The Marie Reay Building is open until midnight daily.

The University has invested in additional security measures, including personnel and patrols, to monitor the encampment and ensure everyone on our campus is safe.

Please call UniSafe team on 02 6125 2249.

ANU staff and students can also request a UniSafe staff escort to walk them across campus, including to residential halls, transport or places of work or study. Please call UniSafe team on 02 6125 2249 if you require an escort.

UniSafe team is also working closely with the residential halls located in Kambri to ensure students residing near the encampment feel safe and supported.

Our Student Safety and Wellbeing team can provide wellbeing support Monday - Friday between 9am - 4pm.

Our staff can access support via our Staff Adviser or Employee Assistance Program.

For after hours support or urgent support, please visit the ANU urgent support page available for staff and students.

The University encourages anyone who needs support to seek it out. If you feel unsafe while on campus, you can request a UniSafe escort (dial 02 6125 2249).

If you or someone you know have experienced harassment, racism, discrimination, violence or threats of violence, we are here to support you.

ANU staff and students can either submit a disclosure (which can remain anonymous) or an official complaint using the University’s harmful behaviours disclosure tool. If you are a student, please visit the harmful behaviours disclosure response and support page dedicated for students.

As a member of the ANU community, you can expect to live, study and work in a place where everyone has a right to be free from discrimination or harassment, whether direct or indirect. Discrimination will not be tolerated.

Yes. Please be assured that if behaviours were inappropriate, the individual will be investigated and the consequences will be serious. Discrimination, in any form, will not be tolerated and where the law may have been broken, we have and will refer these reported incidents to the Australian Federal Police, or where behaviour or speech has violated our code of conduct, we have and continue to commence disciplinary processes.

The University does not comment on individual disciplinary matters.

On 9 August, the ANU Council endorsed proposed updates to the University’s Socially Responsible Investment Policy.

The Council has resolved that the University’s Long Term Investment Pool will not invest in controversial weapons manufacturers and civilian small arms manufacturers. 

Controversial weapons manufacturers will be determined using Australian Government policy. Australia is a signatory to conventions that prohibit the ownership and use of such weapons, including the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, Convention on Cluster Munitions, Chemical Weapons Convention, Biological Weapons Convention and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

The controversial weapons to be included in the negative screen are anti-personnel mines, cluster munitions, chemical weapons, biological weapons and nuclear weapons outside of the NPT. Production of these controversial weapons is an automatic exclusion

This is a principles-based decision. The University has decided it will not invest in companies that derive revenue from those activities.  

This resolution adds to existing investment screens relating to coal, gambling, pornography and tobacco. The University will also seek further opportunities to implement positive screenings related to gender equality, First Nations-led companies, and managing modern slavery risks.

This is an important step. The University will continue to review its policy settings to ensure investment decisions are aligned to our values. 

The implementation of these changes will take some time as the University will issue instructions to our external investment managers, who will then have 90 days to implement the required changes. 

The University's long-term investment portfolio is managed under the ANU Socially Responsible Investment Policy, adopted in 2013.

The Socially Responsible Investment Policy contains a clear environmental, social and governance benchmark, making ANU one of only a handful of universities worldwide who use responsible investment to advance its objectives on social and sustainability issues.

ANU Council has oversight of this policy. There are currently two students representatives and three staff representatives (one professional, two academic) on ANU Council.

All investments are covered by this policy and are expected to align with the University's values, expectations and interests.

You can find full details of the policy here. You can also find the University’s latest Socially Responsible Investment Report online.

Note: this policy covers what companies the University chooses to invest or not invest in. Research and academic partnerships are not governed by this policy and are instead covered by the University's relevant policies and procedures on academic freedom, ethics approval and foreign interference considerations.

The University has had more than 800 university and unit-level agreements over the last 30 years. Currently, the University has approximately 500 active agreements in place, which support student and staff mobility, education pathways, and research engagement.

The University has no current agreements in Israel or Palestine.

All research at ANU is covered by the University’s policy on academic freedom.

Under this policy, ANU researchers are able to undertake research with partners as they see fit, subject to relevant checks and balances. These include ethics approval, national security and foreign interference assessments, and modern slavery considerations, among others.

The University continually reviews and strengthens its policies and procedures for research activities.

ANU has a mission to undertake research and teaching of distinctive quality and which fulfils our national mission. National security and sovereign defence capabilities are in the national interest.

A lot of the University’s research is fundamental in nature, and the overwhelming majority of our research is published in the public domain and is freely available to end users across the globe.

All of the University’s research collaboration is always conducted within the limits of comprehensive Australian legislation, like the Defence Trades Control regime, and governed by the University’s own system of robust checks and balances and ethics approval.

ANU receives funding from a range of sources, including national research grant programs, government departments, donors and business.

All research funding goes through strenuous vetting and due diligence, must meet ethics approval and standards.

Any funded research is undertaken with full academic autonomy and research rigour.

Yes.

The University’s Socially Responsible Investment Policy was introduced in 2013.

The policy promotes investment in securities, companies, trusts and other entities that support socially beneficial outcomes, while avoiding investment opportunities that are likely to cause substantial social injury. The policy also acknowledges that many large companies have diverse activities.

Over the last decade, the list of things that we as a community care about has changed and evolved and the University thanks our student body for drawing our attention to areas that we may need to now consider in 2024. This includes expanding companies for review, along with emerging areas of research including artificial intelligence.

ANU Council met on Friday 14 June and endorsed a review of the existing Socially Responsible Investment policy.

The ANU community were invited to participate in the community consultation to help us continue to evolve and enhance our Socially Responsible Investment Policy. Consultation was open from 2 July to 17 July 2024.

Almost 900 responses were received via the online eform. The feedback will be overseen by a diverse working group that includes broad representation from across ANU. The findings of the review, including consolidated feedback, will be presented to the ANU Council for consideration on 9 August 2024. 

ANU is confident that if we can address the tool by which we make these decisions, we can also find a way to recognise our values led approach in how we invest University resources.

Note: this policy covers what companies the University chooses to invest or not invest in. Research and academic partnerships are not governed by this policy and are instead covered by the University's relevant policies and procedures on academic freedom, ethics approval and foreign interference considerations.

ANU is committed to upholding our values around academic freedom and freedom of speech. We have a proud history of student activism, however this must be undertaken in ways which are respectful, peaceful and safe.

We have asked students to leave the encampment due to health and safety issues for the encampment participants themselves and also the wellbeing and safety of others.

Our campus is a place of work and study for more than 25,000 people and a home for more than 6000 students. Many people in our community have told us they feel unsafe, disrespected and unwelcome on campus due to the encampment and they are not able to go about their work and studies. The encampment is dividing our community and disrupting our core functions.

The wellbeing and safety of our people is of utmost importance, and we will work to maintain the good order of our campus and the social cohesion of our community.

ANU has met with and written to identified ANU students participating in the encampment, raising concerns about the safety and wellbeing for participants, the campus and our community.

ANU has given students participating in the encampment a reasonable direction to vacate. Under the University’s student discipline rule, ANU expects students to follow that direction.

The University is checking in on the encampment each day. Where students have complied with the University’s direction ANU thanks them and acknowledges their willingness to engage in protest which is not harmful to others. If students do not vacate the encampment, ANU will explore appropriate action under the University’s policies and procedures.

This could include disciplinary action. In such cases, the matter is between ANU and individual students or staff members. The University does not comment publicly on individual disciplinary matters.