Auckland academics call out university’s stance on protest

A group of staff at New Zealand’s University of Auckland have expressed concern at the university’s move to block a protest encampment that was planned to take place on campus calling for support for the rights of Palestinians, reports RNZ.

This week the university warned that while it supported the right of students and staff to protest peacefully and legally, it would not support an overnight encampment due to health and safety concerns. The university’s statement said advice from police had been taken into account, and the university would “work constructively” with the protesters to facilitate an alternative form of protest.

After the university’s statement against the planned encampment, the group changed the event to a campus rally, which they said would make it more accessible to a more diverse range of people. However, now an open letter signed by 65 university staff and academics says they held deep concerns about the university’s stance toward the protest.
Full report on the RNZ site