May 16th 2024.
The streets of Melbourne were once again filled with the chants and banners of Pro-Palestine protesters, who had refused to leave the Arts West building of Melbourne University. It was just one of many locations across the city that saw student protest activity throughout the day.
The group, consisting of about 100 people, had stormed the university building the previous day and set up camp with tents, chairs, and banners, making it clear that they were not backing down from their cause. As a result, classes that were scheduled to take place in the building were rescheduled for the day, according to the university.
In a statement, the university expressed regret for the disruption and safety issues caused by the protest activity, informing students that there would be no access to Arts West for the day. They also assured students that alternative arrangements would be made and communicated through subject coordinators, urging them to check the Learning Management System for updates.
While the university was dealing with the situation, Victoria Police stated that they had been notified of the protest but had not been asked to intervene or remove the protesters. They continued to monitor the event and would only respond if any public order issues arose, in coordination with the university.
Similar scenes had been unfolding at other universities in Melbourne, such as Deakin University and Monash University, over the past two days. This followed the massive demonstration in the city streets the day before, where thousands of Pro-Palestine protesters had occupied Melbourne Central shopping centre as a show of solidarity with the students occupying university campuses.
As tensions rose and some traders pulled their shutters, the group remained peacefully surrounded by police until they made their way out of the centre and into a busy intersection. And while the situation was being closely monitored, people were encouraged to stay informed through the WhatsApp channel, which offered the latest updates on breaking news, celebrities, and sports without any comments or algorithm.
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