Monash Students for Palestine Open Letter

Monash University’s head of security has informed organisers at the Monash Gaza Solidarity Encampment that any student on campus who uses the phrase “from the river, to the sea”, a popular slogan used by Palestine solidarity protesters to call for freedom and equal rights for Palestinians and Jews, will face immediate academic discipline.

This is an outrageous incursion on freedom of speech of staff and students. The right to think, speak, and write freely is a cornerstone of universities. This comes after two Australian university vice-chancellors have called on the government to outlaw the slogan. Students and staff have a right to express support for Palestine without fear of expulsion, dismissal, or censorship.

We the undersigned individuals and organisations oppose moves to prohibit or limit the fundamental right of freedom of speech.

How to sign on.

Please message Students for Palestine Monash on Instagram, or email studentsforpalestinemonash@gmail.com, your/your organisation’s name to indicate you undersign this open letter. Students for Palestine will periodically update our media and this document with the groups who sign on.

Signed by:

Organisations & Politicians

  • Free Palestine Melbourne
  • Students For Palestine Australia
  • Maritime Union of Australia (Victorian Branch)
  • National Tertiary Education Union (Monash Branch)
  • Samantha Ratnam - Greens Member of the Victorian Legislative Council
  • Gabrielle de Vietri - Greens MP for Richmond
  • Jewish Council of Australia
  • Muslim Legal Network Inc.
  • Loud Jew Collective
  • Tzedek Collective
  • Monash4Palestine
  • Monash Islamic Society
  • Victorian Socialists
  • National Union of Students Queer Department
  • National CPSU Rank and File For Palestine
  • NTEU LaTrobe Staff for Palestine
  • ASU Action for Palestine
  • Unionists4Palestine
  • Nurses for Palestine Naarm
  • Brimbank for Palestine
  • Knox for Palestine
  • Melton For Palestine
  • Darebin for Palestine
  • Wyndham For Palestine
  • Menzies for Palestine
  • Hobsons Bay for Palestine
  • Free Palestine Geelong
  • Greek Australians for a Free Palestine
  • Weapons out of Naarm
  • Free Palestine Coalition Naarm
  • Socialist Alternative
  • Socialist Alliance
  • Solidarity
  • Anak Bangsa Merdeka
  • Freedom Socialist Party
  • Radical Women
  • Revolutionary Communist Organisation (RCO) Melbourne
  • Folk Artists for Palestine Naarm
  • Palestine Library Action Network Naarm
  • Mums for Palestine
  • Women’s Climate Justice Collective
  • Federation of Italian Migrant workers and families

Individuals

  • Gilbert Achcar - University of London Professor of Development Studies and International Relations at the School of Oriental and African Studies.
  • Julie Webb-Pullman - War Crimes Investigator
  • Dr Rick Kuhn, Jewish retired associate professor of politics at the Australian National University
  • Dr Jeff Sparrow, Senior Lecturer in Journalism Culture and Communication, UniMelb
  • Nina Springle, former MP for South-East Metro, former Deputy Leader of the Victorian Greens
  • Eric Tienstra, Jewish Greens Co-Convenor
  • Giles Fielke, NTEU National Council
  • Jacob Andrewartha, National Co-Convenor of Socialist Alliance
  • Jane Kenway, Emeritus Professor, Monash University, Professorial Fellow, MGSE, Melbourne University
  • Daniel Mathews, Associate Professor, School of Mathematics, Monash University
  • Elliot Dolan-Evans, Monash Staff in Arts Faculty
  • Viviane Hessami, Monash Staff member
  • Nalanda Robson, Monash Staff member
  • Lucy Robertson-Bell, Monash Staff Member
  • Dr. Kyna Conn, staff member at Monash, Dept of Physiology
  • Jed Morton, NTEU Monash
  • Nadia Mouchaileh, Monash Staff
  • Elizabeth Vecchio, Monash Staff
  • Jill Vaughan, Monash Staff
  • Rebecca Bracewell, Monash Staff
  • Megan Moss, Monash PhD Candidate and sessional tutor
  • Rubini Ball, Phd candidate and staff member of the social work dept at Monash
  • Andrew Lorimer, Monash Student
  • James Bloch, Monash student
  • Ovin Herath, Monash Student
  • Kathryn Nardi - Monash Student
  • Jesse Butland, Monash Student
  • Selene Bekkaya, Monash Student
  • Nethum Devendra, Monash Student
  • Parisa Sarmady, Monash University
  • Jillian Doughty, Monash Education Student
  • Bilal Enes Taskesti, PhD researcher, Monash
  • Alison Lewis, Monash Student
  • Jos Downey, Students for Palestine member, MSA ESJ Committee member
  • Sam Allan, Students for Palestine member, MSA ESJ Committee member
  • Emma Chamberlain, Students for Palestine member, MSA ESJ Committee
  • Luka Kiernan, Monash Student, MSA Student Affairs Committee member
  • Madeline Curkovic, Monash Student Association Queer Officer
  • Connor Knight, Students for Palestine Member, MSA EdAc Committee Member.
  • Max Tory, MSA ESJ committee member
  • Krishan Meepe, Monash Student
  • Ella Skuza - Monash Student
  • Sarah Ponsford, Monash Student and Staff Member
  • Bibi Pedley, Monash Student
  • Muskaan Monteiro, Monash Student
  • Esha Adnan, Monash Student
  • Eren Olmez, Monash Student
  • Mietta Kendall, Monash Student
  • Fahim Hossain, Monash Student
  • Claudia W, Monash Student
  • Darcy Anderson, Monash Student
  • Meera Jane Fernandes, Student
  • Isabel Pena Negrette, Monash Student
  • Beth Sometimes, Monash Student
  • Maxine Ryan, Monash Student
  • Amy Hotu, Monash Student
  • Shae S Foreman-Sim, Monash Student
  • Dilheena Basnayake Monash Alumni
  • Jessica Kube, Monash Alumni
  • Victoria Cheryl, student at Monash Malaysia Campus
  • Muhammad Irsyad Nawawi, student at Monash Malaysia Campus
  • Ilyani - Staff at Monash Malaysia Campus
  • Elly Zulaikha, Monash Malaysia Campus Alumni.
  • Aisha Khodary, Monash Student, and Students for Palestine Monash member
  • Samadi Mallawa - Student at Monash University Clayton Campus
  • Lloyd Riman, Monash Faculty of Education Master Student
  • Nathan Fioritti, PhD Candidate in the School of Social Sciences at Monash
  • Fizza Ishtiaq, MSc - Monash Alumni
  • Graeme Lorimer, B.Sc(Hons) (Monash), PhD (Monash)
  • Camilo Cayazaya - Master of Dietetics from Monash university
  • Sarah Stockman, Monash Alumni
  • Amira, Monash Alumni
  • Mancie Rathod, Monash Alumni
  • Corey Lionis, Monash Alumni
  • Margaret Manessis, Monash Alumni
  • Esra Sahingoz, Monash Alumni
  • Shiffi Blustein, Monash Alumni
  • Diane Roddy, Monash Alumni
  • Alenka Csomor, Monash Alumni
  • Dr David Glanz, Monash Alumnus
  • Patrick Weyland-Smith, Monash Alumni
  • Dayle Barnett, Monash alumni
  • Claerwen Leahy, Monash Alumni
  • Monique Hurley, Monash Alumni
  • Jane Thomas, Monash Alumni
  • Anastasios Moralis, Monash Alumni
  • Kelly Fawcett, Monash Alumni
  • Dr Mietta Kyrios, MD, Monash Alumni
  • Shalini Coelho, Monash Alumni
  • Leslie Eastman, former Monash staff member
  • Tess Hutchison, Monash Staff
  • Shana Stewart, Alumni and former staff member
  • Lindsay Fitzclarence, former staff member in the Faculty of Education at Monash University
  • Megan Payne, University of Melbourne and RMIT Alumni, Artist and Arts Worker
  • Astrid D, Monash Alumni and Environmental Sector Worker
  • Dulcie Ross, Graduate of Deakin University and Melbourne Polytechnic
  • Leah Sawell - Ancora Imparo Leadership Alumni, Monash University Alumni
  • Dr Kate Douglas, MBBS FRACGPE
  • Rosie Isaac, Unimelb NTEU
  • Mick P. Clune, AWU Delegate
  • Louisa Bassini, ASU Delegate
  • Rory Donnelly CPSU Delegate
  • Elliott Shaw, ASU member
  • Benjamin Dawborn, Victoria University Student & Employee
  • Rosie Shorter, University of Melbourne and Deakin University Staff Member
  • Michael Nardi, Deakin Gaza Solidarity Encampment participant
  • Tina Nardi, Deakin University alumna
  • Jamin Sarmady, Swinburne university student
  • Bella Carlson, Swinburne Alumni
  • Phoebe Thompson, employee of RMIT and Melbourne Uni
  • Dr Liam Ward, Lecturer in Media & Communication, RMIT University
  • Carmen Reid, employee and post-grad student at RMIT University
  • Sarah Haq, RMIT alumni
  • Marlo Mogensen RMIT Alumni
  • Dr Ozlem Susler, Senior lecturer in law, La Trobe University
  • Ari Tasman Phelan-World, archaeologist, studying at La Trobe University
  • Shelby Gray, University of Canterbury PhD Candidate, Aotearoa/New Zealand
  • Liz Ross, Author, founding and life member of the Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives
  • Vashti Fox, author of ‘The Story of Palestine: Empire, Repression and Resistance’
  • Brian Fiu Kolia, biblical scholar, Malua Theological College.
  • Mohammed Mateen, Monash Council Resident
  • Paddy Gordon PHD candidate and research assistant, Victoria University
  • El Hall, Adelaide University Student
  • Ruby Axon, UWA Student
  • Darcy, Monash Student
  • Andrew Laing, Lawyer
  • Yousouf Palitanawala
  • Marwan Al Aamri
  • Lilian Alateras
  • Ollie Walker
  • Arzu Yilmaz
  • Aofie Dermody
  • Dr Pippa Tandy
  • Megan Payne
  • Bakir Al-Fetlawi
  • Helena Corkill
  • Andrea Bortoli
  • Renee Aun
  • Elizabeth Attard
  • Blair Williams
  • Alicia Gardener
  • Anna Nilsson
  • Sree Arun
  • Amy Chung-Sing Hotu
  • Davina Brown
  • Elly Robertson
  • Leeza Semisi
  • Ayfer Akalin
  • Mia Bradfield
  • Belinda Pringle
  • Teagan McPherson
  • Freida Balsara
  • Andrea Canisius
  • Roshani Jamall
  • Bianca Lyla Clifford
  • Alice Nothe
  • Lauren Walsh-Buckley
  • Rida Jafri
  • Tara Reamerd
  • Keely Wins
  • Yasmin
  • Isobel Isac
  • Erica
  • Emma Parfitt
  • Gabrielle Gautier
  • Cherie Vick
  • Blake Willis
  • Vidyani
  • Luca Elliot
  • Louie
  • Joshua Hoxha
  • Evelyn Konstantinidis
  • Paul Buck
  • Jennifer Chen
  • Caleb Ratray
  • Grace Edwards
  • Grace Binns
  • Dominic Barr
  • Lana Sprajcer
  • Lila Kelly
  • Tina Gelberidis
  • Ella Gauci-Seddon
  • Ciara Power
  • Genwa Rafeh
  • Lee Osmond
  • Amy Butcher
  • Anna Sehdev
  • Siobhan Gibbs
  • Nadine Sabih
  • Alfred Haddon
  • Grace Carver
  • Lauren Marshall
  • Imogen Davis
  • Đông Khuê
  • Mariam Ritchie
  • Solange Dassanaike
  • Nadia Mignone
  • Blanca Poolman
  • Louie Kuhlmann
  • Seema Patara
  • Sewni Samarawickrama
  • Fern Ditria
  • Elizabeth Stewart
  • Ellie Cook
  • Michael Allan
  • Phryn Hosler
  • Fahmid Tawsif Khan Chowdhury
  • Malsa Ghafoor
  • Darcy Olsen
  • Carlos Ibaviosa
  • Jelena Milosevic
  • Emeline Robinson-Shaw
  • Miu Kanokkantapong
  • Chan
  • Yu Ying Lu
  • Fiona Vuong
  • Catherine Porciuncula
  • Cassie Kropp
  • Dr Autumn Royal
  • Alli Webber
  • Jora Kalavace
  • Raven Taylor
  • T Webber
  • Tom Pessah
  • Andrew Mansi
  • Adria Au

To read more about the anti free speech push on Australian Campuses:

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/university-chiefs-seek-federal-advice-on-intifada-calls-20240509-p5igpy.html

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/university-orders-removal-of-zionist-not-welcome-signs-as-protests-escalate-20240508-p5gr97.html 

https://www.monash.edu/students/news/articles/respecting-protest-and-free-speech-comes-with-obligations-for-all-of-us?j=749408&sfmc_sub=60430984&l=137_HTML&u=31584143&mid=7297893&jb=10001