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Live Blog Update| Israel's genocide in Gaza

Pro-Palestinian protesters camp across Australian universities

Hundreds of people protesting Israel's war on Gaza rallied at one of Australia's top universities on Friday demanding it divest from companies with ties to Israel, in a movement inspired by the student occupations sweeping US campuses.

Pro-Palestinian activists set up an encampment last week outside the sandstone main hall at University of Sydney, one of Australia's largest tertiary institutions.

Similar camps have sprung up at universities in Melbourne, Canberra and other Australian cities.

Unlike in the US, where police have forcibly removed scores of defiant pro-Palestinian protesters at several colleges, protest sites in Australia have been peaceful with scant police presence.

On Friday, protesters rallied to demand the University of Sydney divest from companies with ties to Israel, echoing calls from students in the US, Canada and France.

A protester supporting Palestinians in Gaza holds up a sign during a rally at The University of Sydney on 3 May 2024 (Reuters/Lewis Jackson)
A protester supporting Palestinians in Gaza holds up a sign during a rally at The University of Sydney on 3 May 2024 (Reuters/Lewis Jackson)

Reporting by Reuters