Published: 5 June 2025
Last updated: 5 June 2025
Safework savages Sydney University
Jewish students at Sydney University had to contend with activists who entered lecture halls chanting antisemitic slogans, while others carried banners saying “Jews not allowed”, a preliminary SafeWork NSW investigation into campus culture found.
It said that while the university had the authority, policies and procedures in place to eliminate antisemitism, it failed to act for 11 months and only did so when the safety watchdog began investigating and negative media stories started to pile up.
The report, obtained under freedom of information laws and first published by The Australian Financial Review, details how the investigator who visited the campus in September last year recommended SafeWork NSW carry out a full investigation following his preliminary report.
“Jewish workers and students experienced antisemitism daily whilst on campus, creating a workplace of fear, anxiousness and a fear of retribution towards Jewish workers and students because they were Jewish people,” the report said.
However, the watchdog ultimately ignored the recommendation of its own inspector and never carried out a full investigation of the university.
It noted how the safety of Jewish staff and students stemmed from the pro-Palestinian encampment, which sprang up in April 2024 and lasted for eight weeks.
NSW Police raised concerns about the encampment and requested the university take action to remove it, but the institution did not do anything for a further two months, it said.
