Pro-Palestinian protesters at the Australian National University have avoided arrests, moving their encampment to a new location on campus and continuing their protest. Hundreds gathered at the site of the first encampment before taking their protest to the doorstep of the vice chancellor.
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00:00 A protest relocated, their cause unmoved. Hundreds marched to the Chancellery building
00:07 to voice their demands.
00:11 We're ready for you to disclose and divest.
00:15 Today's rally began at the site of the first encampment. ACT Green's MLA Emma Davidson
00:20 gave her approval.
00:21 I happen to be the Minister for Corrections and I'm here to tell you that you have the
00:24 right to peaceful protest.
00:28 Today's police presence was to enforce a notice to vacate from the university, citing
00:33 emergency evacuation safety. The student union says it was heavy handed.
00:37 What about being a fire hazard constitutes so great a risk that you need police on campus
00:44 to intimidate students, to scare students and to threaten them with arrest?
00:48 Send a bunch of police down to a peaceful student protest. I was, more than anything,
00:52 I was horrified and disgusted.
00:54 By Monday afternoon, the order to vacate looked likely to be ignored, with students staying
00:59 put on the Canberra lawn. By this morning, all that remained was damaged grass.
01:04 The students, in the dead of night and freezing cold, moved their camp about 100 metres that
01:10 way, further into the campus.
01:12 After a vote, the camp was moved here, to the lawn opposite the School of Politics and
01:16 International Relations. Relations on campus remain unresolved. Protesters say the ANU
01:22 won't negotiate. The university says an invitation to protesters to discuss their demands hasn't
01:28 been taken up.
01:29 We are committed to having our university disclosed and diversed, and we see this as
01:34 part of a good faith engagement with the university.
01:37 Although the encampment has moved on, ANU says it's not an approved location. The university
01:42 says any risks to the community or campus will be removed.
01:46 [BLANK_AUDIO]