In Australia's academic halls, a struggle for justice and peace unfolds, and the tranquility of the University of Melbourne is shattered by the echoes of the war in Gaza.
On Wednesday, a group of pro-Palestinian protesters occupied Arts West, the university's landmark, igniting a fuse of tensions surrounding the Middle East conflict on campus. This sit-in, with tents as camps and slogans as flags, was not only a silent indictment of the war, but also a question about the responsibility of academic institutions.
According to Australian media on May 20, the protesters held their ground, ignored the school's call to evacuate, and continued to hold a peaceful sit-in to commemorate the anniversary of the catastrophe, and called on the school to withdraw its investment and oppose support for Israeli arms manufacturers.
On Monday morning, the University of Melbourne again urged protesters to leave, but as of press time, the sit-in continued, with tents, bedding and cooking utensils dotted the building, as if it were a makeshift protest camp. Some teachers even moved their classes to the protest site to follow the situation with their students.
Among the protesters, two Chinese students S and N who participated in the action stood out, saying, "Our tuition should not be used to support the war." This view resonates with more Chinese students, who are proud of their compatriots' voices.
Vice Chancellor Michael Wesley noted that some of the protesters were not teachers and students, but "professional activists" who may be influencing the nature of the protest.
However, Chinese participants S and N insisted they were part of an independent student and staff organization and had been sitting here peacefully since Wednesday. They named the building "Mahmoud Hall" in honor of Mahmoud, a Palestinian student who was unable to come to study here.
The Chinese slogans put up by the protesters, such as "The people of the world stand up for Palestine and refuse to be complicit", "Moda's hands are stained with blood", and the translation of Lu Xun's famous quotes, attracted the attention of many Chinese students.
Among them, Lu Xun's popular sentence "Endless distance, countless people, are all related to me" was made into a poster, followed by more essays by Lu Xun.
S and N said the taglines are designed to create an inclusive space that encourages more students to get involved.
Faced with safety concerns at the university, the protesters countered that the building's safety concerns stem more from the university's lockdown measures than the protesters' actions. They were adamantly opposed to the eviction and criticized the school for using security as an excuse.
Despite the cancellation of classes due to the protests, some Chinese students such as Agnes and others expressed their support. They believe that the protest is a voice for justice, and they are proud to see the Chinese slogan. They said that the lessons were insignificant compared to the plight of the Palestinian people.
The protests were not confined to the University of Melbourne, with similar student movements at other universities such as Monash University, Deakin University and La Trobe University. Deakin University has ordered the demolition of pro-Palestinian camps, while other universities have issued similar directives. Former federal finance secretary Josh Frydenberg called on all universities to follow suit.
However, the protesters did not back down and continued to express their stance through sit-ins, marches and rallies in tents. Although Monash University's camp has been demolished, flames of protest are still burning on other campuses.