Welcome Fest Punctuated by Student Activism
Students attending Welcome Fest witnessed two protests around midday today, as student activists campaigned against sexual violence on campus and the coronavirus travel ban.
The first protest was organised by the University of Sydney Women’s Collective (WoCo) to place pressure on the University to improve its response to the issue of sexual violence, which has been particularly common during orientation activities in the past. After the Broderick Review and Red Zone Report, which revealed systemic problems within the University and residential colleges, there has been limited meaningful change. In a statement to Pulp, WoCo criticised the University’s tendency to make symbolic gestures, like renaming O-Week, rather than fix “the sexual assault reporting system and support services for survivors”.
WoCo members held a banner reading “1 in 8 sexual assaults at USyd happen during Welcome Week, break the silence on sexual violence”, confronting students and the University to grapple with the problematic aspects of Welcome Fest celebrations. Students wore graduation gowns emblazoned with statistics about the number of college students who survive sexual assault and the percentage of students who know where to find support after an assault. They were “specifically targeting the false pristine reputation of this University” and attempting to reveal the “elitism, sexism and racism” entrenched in educational institutions. Their demands centred around better support services, proper accountability for the perpetrators of violence, and a more serious approach by the University at fixing the issue.
The second protest was hosted by the University of Sydney SRC and the Autonomous Collective Against Racism. It critiqued the Morrison government’s travel ban policy towards people travelling from China, arguing that it was medically counterproductive and grounded in racist narratives about border control. The protestors questioned the role of offshore detention in dealing with the virus, and demanded a thorough and just healthcare response to the crisis.
ACAR described the action as “a great display of student activists coming together to swiftly condemn the conditions that the China travel ban places not only on international students, but Chinese people in general.” Their statement pointed out that the travel ban occurs within a context where the Australian government and society as a whole perpetuate Sinophobic “yellow peril” narratives. They emphasised the importance of “opposing and working to dismantle the colonial system which allows for such a violent narrative”.
Previous years have also seen protests during the first week of university, with actions targeting rape culture and anti-choice O-Week stalls. Such actions counterpose the heavy promotion from the University and introduce students to Sydney University’s long history of student activism.