Just to bring everyone up to date with what has happened so far, we have a YouTube video providing a summary of all the recent events.
It all started at La Trobe, where my first campus event proved pretty difficult with noisy protesters doing their best to drown out my talk. But at Sydney University demonstrators took things to a different level. The security guards were overwhelmed by the unruly protesters who blocked the corridor leading to the venue preventing most of the audience from attending the event. Our students were threatened, physically jostled, some even flung against walls by the aggressive crowd prior to the riot squad being called in by security to control the protesters before my talk could go ahead.
I spent the next week putting together a series of letters to Vice Chancellor Michael Spence asking firstly that he return the security fee to the students because the security guards were unable to control the unruly protesters. My crowdfunder contributed to that fee.
But more importantly, I have asked that formal complaints be taken against key organisers of the protest. I have spelt out in detail the various codes of conduct and bullying/harassment policies breached by these organisers and provided abundant evidence, including video footage of these breaches. We have included witness statements from members of my audience who were bullied, abused and harassed by the protesters.
My newest video reveals who these key protesters are and gives a few glimpses of them in action. Plus shows some of the relevant university regulations. This is designed just as a first stage. We have plans to follow up, with legal action if necessary.
