RED tape with bold, black words reading "disclose", "demilitarise" and "boycott" were stuck to the lips of hundreds of university students as they protested outside of the University of Newcastle Callaghan campus library on Wednesday morning.
The student protesters chanted in demand of management cutting ties with weapons manufacturers Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
The snap rally comes just two weeks after the UON Students for Palestine group established an encampment at the university on May 13, in protest of the university's partnerships.
Both Boeing and Lockheed Martin fund scholarships at the university, including the Boeing Engineering Scholarship for Women and the Altitude Accord.
The students join a growing movement at universities and colleges across the globe, including those in Australia, protesting the Israel-Hamas war.
UON Students for Palestine member and first-year student Will de Geer said he can see the ties the institution has with weapons manufacturing.
"Even our library has an Israeli company that's part of it. We can see in the many ways that our university is complicit in the genocide that is occurring. We're trying to take away that power," he said.
"There has been a complete disregard for the safety of life."
He said the rally was in response to a meeting invitation extended by Deputy Vice-Chancellor professor Kent Anderson, to three members of the encampment.
"It was the first contact we've had from the administration of the university and it basically was 'we want to hear your concerns about the conflict in the Middle East'," he said.
"It was a non-descriptive language. There were no words of Palestine, Israel, genocide and no mention of our demands that we've very specifically stated to the university."
"We said no, we will not meet you."
Professor Anderson told the Newcastle Herald one group had declined the meeting invitation, however administration were still open to communication.
"We extended an invitation to meet with relevant student groups who have been active in the discussions about the conflict in Gaza. We met with some of them today to listen to their concerns," he said.
"We remain willing and open to rescheduling the meeting."
Students converged on campus and peacefully protested for a "serious discussion on our demands".
"We will not accept their current proposal. It's not giving us respect of the encampment and we would like to discuss our goals," Mr de Geer said.
Their demands are for the university to cut all ties with institutions in Israel, including Israeli universities, and with Lockheed Martin and Boeing.
The students want complete transparency regarding any and all investments with weapons manufacturers and the State of Israel.
In day 17 of the encampment, 30 tents are on campus and Mr de Geer says the group has been engaging other members of the university through discussing genocide, movie nights, talks with professors and signing letters.
"We're trying to engage students on different ways about the situation and also just making a presence within the university," he said.
There have been no issues with police, security or administration in the student-led protest and Mr de Geer said the group will continue in the encampment and has called on Vice-Chancellor Alex Zelinsky for action.
"We'd like to see - from Alex Zelinsky - a respectful conversation on our demands and we will continue until we are able to. Let's not beat around the bush," he said.
