The Australian National University has expelled the student who said on the ABC that "Hamas deserves our unconditional support". It is the first university in the country to take such strong disciplinary action.
Hamas was the organisation which perpetrated the October 7 massacre of more than a thousand people in Israel. An outside report by a UN investigator also found evidence of rape. The Australian government deems Hamas a terrorist organisation.
Beatrice Tucker did not return calls seeking comment.
On its website, Students and Staff Against War says: "The ANU has expelled pro-Palestine student for comments made on ABC radio defending Palestinian right to armed resistance.
"The student has been banned from entering campus or continuing their studies."
Other sources confirmed the expulsion.
The ANU refused to comment on the specific case. "All staff and students are free to express themselves and protest in line with the university's Academic Freedom and Freedom of Speech policies," a statement said.
"With these rights come responsibilities. Student responsibilities are clearly outlined in the Student Code of Conduct and the Discipline Rule. As members of the ANU community, we uphold our core values including safety and wellbeing, inclusion and accountability."
The interview on the ABC was with Beatrice Tucker but also with another student, Luke Manning. He is believed to have distanced himself from giving unconditional support for Hamas and is not thought to have been expelled.
At the time of the broadcast, ANU deputy vice-chancellor Grady Venville said, "If any speech or actions discriminate or violate our code of conduct or Australian laws, we will take disciplinary action."
Jewish students at the university were particularly offended. After the remark, the country's leading Jewish body, the Executive Council for Australian Jewry, called on the ANU to "expel the students who supported Hamas and for them to face the law for doing so".
Jewish students had said that the camp at the centre of the campus made them feel "intimidated and isolated".
"We want to be proud about our Jewish identity, yet this camp and the general atmosphere around the university often force us to hide that part of ourselves in fear of our safety," a statement from the ACT branch of the Australasian Union of Jewish Students said.
