Media release – Weapons Free UTAS, 9 August 2024

UTAS STUDENTS GATHER TO LAUNCH ‘WEAPONS FREE UTAS’, DEMANDING UTAS CUT TIES WITH ARMS DEVELOPERS

UTAS students gathered at the Sandy Bay Campus this afternoon to launch ‘Weapons Free UTAS’: a campaign calling for the University to cut ties with arms dealers and developers. The group has been formed in response to partnerships uncovered by recent disclosure from the University on their website. These partnerships include contracts with the UK’s largest weapons manufacturer, BAE Systems, and German military multinational, Hensoldt.

The university’s disclosure of its partnerships came as a response to three months of sustained pressure from students camping at the University in solidarity with Palestinian people facing genocide. Students met regularly with Pro Vice-Chancellors from the University for the first month of the encampment demanding that the university:

1. Demands an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Palestine

2. Divests from partnerships with Israeli institutions

3. Demilitarise current and future UTAS funding arrangements and partnerships

4. Disclose UTAS funding and partnerships

5. Join the academic boycott of Israeli institutions

UTAS met the third demand and published information detailing academic partnerships, which can be found at https://www.utas.edu.au/community-and-partners/partner/research/current-partnerships. The University has since refused to meet with students to address further demands.

The encampment in nipaluna/Hobart is the final remaining encampment in support of Palestine in Australia after the global movement took hold in April. With the launch of this new group with a broader focus on demilitarising university partnerships, the students have decided to pack down camp.

The afternoon’s event began with a Welcome to Country from Nala Mansell, campaign coordinator from the Tasmanian Aboriginal Corporation. Ms Mansell spoke of the parallels between the Palestinian and palawa struggles as victims of colonisation. Speeches from students emphasised that educational institutions, which receive public funding, are no place to be conducting military research or supporting arms dealers.

They noted the precedent of the University making large divestment in response to student support with the ‘Fossil Free UTAS’ movement. Palestinian student Sam O’Neil shared a poem, asking Vice Chancellor Rufus Black: “Does death only matter when it hurts your pockets?”

Weapons Free UTas is committed to ensuring that the University of Tasmania will be a peaceful institution, playing no part in genocide or violence. They will continue to hold the University accountable to their