The University of Melbourne in the state of Victoria came under fire after it was alleged that students who attended demonstrations in support of Palestine on its campus in May were “identified using surveillance technology”.
According to The Age newspaper, the Victorian Office of the Public Institutions Regulatory Authority issued a statement on the matter, confirming that the university had identified students who had participated in the protests, adding that this could contravene privacy and data protection laws.
The spokesperson stated that a possible warning may be sent to the university as a result of the investigation, and emphasized that the university should make the necessary corrections after this warning.
The student group Unimelb for Palestine said the University of Melbourne sent emails to at least 19 students who had participated in the protests, claiming they had “behaved inappropriately”. The group claimed that the university was monitoring the students using security cameras and internet connections.
The student group said using technology to identify students participating in demonstrations in support of Palestine was against the university’s anti-racism policy.
- The University of Melbourne administration has not yet made an official statement on the issue.
- Demonstrations in support of Palestine are among the events that draw attention around the world.
- Demonstrations in support of Palestine were also held at universities in Australia.
