New Vice Chancellor Grant Robertson had his patience tested during his ‘Making Peace with Our Past and Our Future’ lecture on September 19th. The speech, given to a half-full Castle 1 Lecture Theatre, was continuously interrupted by the Otago Students for Justice in Palestine (OSJP), who’ve been actively pushing for the University to break its stance of “institutional neutrality” on the war on Gaza this year.
It seemed Grant could hardly get a word in before being interrupted by various OSJP crowd members who’d come with a list of demands for the Vice Chancellor, the first of which was for him to “call for a ceasefire in Gaza.” OSJP has been asking for University action since the beginning of the year, and clearly fulfilled what they said at earlier protests – that their previous actions were just a gentle start.
Although protestors asked a lot of questions throughout the speech – including about the disclosement of investments – their main concern was that the University has declined to take a direct stance on Israel’s actions in Gaza. When met with these interruptions, Grant either stated that he would answer the questions later, or fully sat down and stopped talking. After the initial interjections, the speech continued on relatively smoothly.
Grant was invited to speak by the Archibald Baxter Memorial Foundation, named after an Otago man who was arrested and subject to punishment during WWI for his refusal to wear a military uniform. The Trust has been described to Critic as “a group of old white men” – this occasion was the first time they were willing to have a discussion on Te Tiriti. The speech represented a bridge between Grant, a former activist, achieving progress through more official means.
Given that the speech was largely centred on the future of biculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand and Te Tiriti o Waitangi, some attendees commented to Critic that the interruptions felt “disrespectful to the Treaty itself.” A University spokesperson told Critic that the disruptions during the Vice Chancellor’s speech “were unfortunate,” and “disrespectful to the Trust.” Critic Te Ārohi spoke to a spokesperson from OSJP about the club’s recent actions. When asked to comment on these criticisms, OSJP told Critic that the actions they took “were carefully considered over an extended period.” They emphasised to Critic that they meant no disrespect to the foundation involved.
OSJP stated that Grant answered two questions in front of the crowd at the end – one about why the University hasn’t called for a ceasefire, and the other asking whether Grant agreed with the International Court of Justice case seeking to classify Israel’s actions as a genocide. According to OSJP, he “admitted that Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute a genocide.” The University stated that Grant “acknowledged their report had said it amounted to genocide.” They made it clear that Grant was speaking in his “personal capacity,” not representing the institution, but that no one could deny “the horror” of what is going on in Gaza.
When asked about the purpose of the speech disruption, OSJP said that they wanted to bring the “Vice Chancellor and his administration’s attention back to Palestine.” They said that this felt especially relevant given Israel’s recent explosion of pagers in Lebanon, killing 42 and maiming thousands. There was an “irony” to Grant speaking about peace considering “he and his administration have avoided our request for discussion and have been silent,” commented OJSP.
The group’s main gripe is rooted in the University’s commitment to “institutional neutrality”. Since the end of last year, the University has repeatedly declined to take a stance on the issue, just as they do not take any stances on any political situation that does not affect the running of the university. OSJP takes particular issue with the Uni’s neutrality, calling the implications of the term “bullshit”. OSJP’s rep quoted Desmond Tutu to Critic: “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”
Tertiary institutions across the country have unanimously adopted a stance of neutrality. However, financial ties discovered between Wellington universities Massey and Victoria and Israel have had Otago students wondering whether we could be in the same boat. In all communications to Critic Te Ārohi and to the wider university staff and students, the University has stated that “to the best of [our] knowledge” they do not have any investments in Israel.
OSJP maintains that “the University has millions in global equities, and so it’s likely they’ve invested in Israel.” Comments have been made that in instances of financial support, institutions cannot claim “neutrality.” Their key demand is that the University endorses BDS (boycott, divestment, and sanctions) which would include the University releasing what they’ve invested in to the students.
Reactions to the actions of OSJP at Grant’s speech have been mixed. Both attendees and other students Critic interviewed expressed that while they themselves would identify as pro-Palestine, they felt like the actions of OSJP at the speech were not representative of their feelings. Student Isabella* said that, despite supporting the overall cause, she criticises the groups’ actions as the speech was “not the space for it.” Fourth-year student Connor* echoed this and expressed concern that OSJP was teetering on the edge of tanking support for the movement because of actions like this one.
In addition to their recent protest, OSJP sent out an email to all OUSA-affiliated clubs and socs, alphabetically starting with the American Football Club of Otago (bold), asking for their support in petitioning OUSA to release a public statement “condemning the Israeli genocide and scholasticide of Palestine,” and “support the passing of a motion by the University Council to implement a BDS policy.” OSJP had not reached out to OUSA prior to sending out this email.
OUSA President Keegan Wells has since reached out to the group. Commenting to Critic, she said, “I’m interested to see how much support they get.” OSJP views OUSA’s role as “leading the charge,” citing OUSA’s history of “radical politics” for reference. When asked about this view of OUSA’s role, Keegan commented that she doesn’t think it’s their movement to lead.
However, she did not diminish OUSA’s supporting role. When OMUSA organised a protest in May earlier this year, the Exec helped promote it through their connections with Francisco Hernandez and Rachel Brooking, the local Green and Labour MPs. Their social media channels promoted their protest, which helped it reach a wider audience. This is where Keegan sees OUSA fitting into the picture – using their connections to amplify the voices of those members of the Uni directly affected. But Keegan wanted to emphasise their willingness to talk to and work with OSJP in the future.
Whether or not students agree with the methods of OSJP, Palestine remains an issue at the forefront of students’ minds both abroad, nationally, and in Otago. It is also clear the OSJP will continue to pressure both the Clocktower and OUSA to meet their demands. It’s a long road ahead, Grant.