University of Sydney students and staff blast new ‘draconian’ protest crackdown

The University of Sydney’s vice-chancellor says the new protest policy upholds free speech and recognises need to ‘manage our environment for the safety and security of all’. Photograph: Ayush Kumar/AFP/Getty Images

Academics and students at the University of Sydney have blasted the vice-chancellor for a “draconian” protest crackdown that requires explicit permission for megaphones to be used or posters to be put up on campus.

The policy, quietly introduced last week, demands three days’ notice for demonstrations to be held and approval for putting up “materials, banners or structures” on campus, using megaphones or amplifiers, erecting temporary structures and using cooking equipment.