Extract from The Guardian
About 150 students and academics rally at university’s Great Hall to
protest against honorary doctorate being conferred on former prime
minister
Students and academics protested outside a University of Sydney graduation ceremony on Friday morning at which John Howard was awarded an honorary doctorate.
More than 150 people rallied against the university’s decision outside the Great Hall on the Camperdown campus, led by Nick Riemer, a senior lecturer in English and linguistics.
A group of about 50 students splintered off to lead chants of “Racist, sexist, anti-queer – Howard is not welcome here” and “John Howard, blood on your hands” from inside the quadrangle under the scrutiny of a hefty police presence.
Officers blocked access to the doors and windows of the Great Hall and forcibly restrained students who rushed them.
Riemer told Guardian Australia policies introduced by Howard contributed to inequality and discrimination in Australia and the conflict in the Middle East, and awarding him a doctorate went against principles of evidence-based decision-making, peace and equity prized by academics.
“I think there was a very strong message sent today that university management can’t cosy up to a ... racist without doing so against the wishes of staff,” he said.
The University of Sydney has been contacted for comment.
Reimer’s petition calling on the vice-chancellor, Dr Michael Spence, to abandon the “scandalous” award was endorsed by more than 180 staff and PhD students, and another on change.org had more than 1,000 signatures.
Vinil Kumar, a student taking part in the protest, said he was “absolutely appalled” that the university would award a doctorate to Howard given the part his government played in the Iraq war, his attacks on workers, and his demonstrable racism.
He said the protest showed that the award was at odds with the university’s “progressive image”, and the police presence on campus was testament to the fact that it was being taken seriously by management.
“We have every right to hold not only Howard to account but also our own university to account for celebrating him,” he said.
Howard was understood to be addressing the graduation ceremony although Kumar said he had not seen him arrive.
The University of Sydney said on Wednesday Howard’s doctorate was to acknowledge his achievements as prime minister, including “world-leading gun law reform, leadership in East Timor and contribution to Australia’s economic reform”.
Howard is an alumnus of the university, which has conferred honorary doctorates on several former prime ministers: Robert Menzies, Gough Whitlam, Stanley Bruce and Billy Hughes.
This precedent was remarked upon by a member of the Sydney University Liberal Club, part of a group of about 10 people who had gathered for a counter-protest in support of Howard’s doctorate.
The spokesman, who declined to give his name, said Howard had made “an enormous contribution to Australian life” and an honorary doctorate was “certainly in order” given the qualifications bestowed upon former prime ministers.
But Riemer said the practice sent the message that “no matter what you do in office, you will be endorsed by the university”, and devalued its own qualifications.
He said on Friday morning he had had no response from the university, which he thought was “symptomatic” of its relationship with its staff and the community.
“It’s treated the people who work here with absolute contempt ... The vice-chancellor and the chancellor seem to believe that they’re beyond any kind of scrutiny ... There has been no attempt by anyone in authority to justify their decision,” he said.
“I think we can only conclude there is no justification for it, and that they lack the courage to defend the decision in public.”
More than 150 people rallied against the university’s decision outside the Great Hall on the Camperdown campus, led by Nick Riemer, a senior lecturer in English and linguistics.
A group of about 50 students splintered off to lead chants of “Racist, sexist, anti-queer – Howard is not welcome here” and “John Howard, blood on your hands” from inside the quadrangle under the scrutiny of a hefty police presence.
Officers blocked access to the doors and windows of the Great Hall and forcibly restrained students who rushed them.
Riemer told Guardian Australia policies introduced by Howard contributed to inequality and discrimination in Australia and the conflict in the Middle East, and awarding him a doctorate went against principles of evidence-based decision-making, peace and equity prized by academics.
“I think there was a very strong message sent today that university management can’t cosy up to a ... racist without doing so against the wishes of staff,” he said.
The University of Sydney has been contacted for comment.
Reimer’s petition calling on the vice-chancellor, Dr Michael Spence, to abandon the “scandalous” award was endorsed by more than 180 staff and PhD students, and another on change.org had more than 1,000 signatures.
Vinil Kumar, a student taking part in the protest, said he was “absolutely appalled” that the university would award a doctorate to Howard given the part his government played in the Iraq war, his attacks on workers, and his demonstrable racism.
He said the protest showed that the award was at odds with the university’s “progressive image”, and the police presence on campus was testament to the fact that it was being taken seriously by management.
“We have every right to hold not only Howard to account but also our own university to account for celebrating him,” he said.
Howard was understood to be addressing the graduation ceremony although Kumar said he had not seen him arrive.
The University of Sydney said on Wednesday Howard’s doctorate was to acknowledge his achievements as prime minister, including “world-leading gun law reform, leadership in East Timor and contribution to Australia’s economic reform”.
Howard is an alumnus of the university, which has conferred honorary doctorates on several former prime ministers: Robert Menzies, Gough Whitlam, Stanley Bruce and Billy Hughes.
This precedent was remarked upon by a member of the Sydney University Liberal Club, part of a group of about 10 people who had gathered for a counter-protest in support of Howard’s doctorate.
The spokesman, who declined to give his name, said Howard had made “an enormous contribution to Australian life” and an honorary doctorate was “certainly in order” given the qualifications bestowed upon former prime ministers.
But Riemer said the practice sent the message that “no matter what you do in office, you will be endorsed by the university”, and devalued its own qualifications.
He said on Friday morning he had had no response from the university, which he thought was “symptomatic” of its relationship with its staff and the community.
“It’s treated the people who work here with absolute contempt ... The vice-chancellor and the chancellor seem to believe that they’re beyond any kind of scrutiny ... There has been no attempt by anyone in authority to justify their decision,” he said.
“I think we can only conclude there is no justification for it, and that they lack the courage to defend the decision in public.”
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