Cops Off Campus
Written By: Cal Ashnikov
On Friday the 28th of August, a National Day of Action was held to protest against cuts to tertiary education by the Morrison government and several universities. At the University of Sydney, this protest highlighted the proposed cutting of 30 percent of staff. This event prompted an unwarranted and unprecedented crackdown by the police with overt harassment of both organisers and participants.
The 100 protestors were met by over 80 police, nearly half of whom were riot squad, which included the Mounted Unit. This excessive display of force is only a single part of a wider sustained campaign waged by university administrations and government of defunding tertiary education and attacking intellectuals they don’t see as useful or subservient to their agenda, as well as quelling any form of dissent that dares to challenge this.
“With each passing day, they prove the true level of respect they deserve, and the retaliation they warrant”
University staff, faculties and unions have repeatedly rejected these attempts at fee hikes and staff cuts, which are part of a thinly-veiled attempt to quash certain degrees and faculties which aren’t deemed useful in the ever-greedy eyes of neoliberal social engineers.
At the event itself, members and organisers of education, activist and left-wing groups were singled out and attacked by police in what could only have been a premeditated move. Known militant individuals were picked out of the crowd, despite participating only as bystanders, while others were arrested for merely carrying a megaphone or a banner, thus being cast as ‘organisers’ by the police. Dispersing students were then followed and harassed by lines of riot police until they were outside of the university grounds and then blocked from re-entering through public thoroughfares at both Victoria Park and the Parramatta Road Footbridge.
With the arrests, some 10 protestors were fined by the police on trumped up charges of breaching physical distancing rules. Disgustingly, police further displayed their true colours by harassing an arrestee over previously reporting being sexually assaulted. Police taunted the woman over the report in an attempt to catch her out over having stated she’d not been dealt with by the police before. This cowardly act only shows the true nature of the police. They must be seen not as protectors of the community or our interests, but as thugs and bullies lording their control and powers over those who dare defy their masters. With each passing day, they prove the true level of respect they deserve, and the retaliation they warrant. We shall continue to support those who stand up to their intimidation. We shall continue to stand up for our right to just employment and our right to education.
For those interested in taking part, the next event in this campaign is on the 16th of September at the University of Sydney at the F23 administration building. All who oppose the ongoing attacks on tertiary education are welcome!
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Dillon Britton, Nina. 2020. "Police Used Protester’S Previous Sexual Assault Report To Embarrass Her During NDA Rally Arrest". Honi Soit, , 2020. https://honisoit.com/2020/08/police-used-protesters-previous-sexual-assault-report-to-embarrass-her-during-nda-rally-arrest/.
Wang, Chuyi. 2020. "National Day Of Action Education Rally Shut Down By Police, Several Fines Issued". Honi Soit, , 2020. https://honisoit.com/2020/08/national-day-of-action-education-rally-shut-down-by-police-several-fines-issued/.