A royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion has heard that an Australian National University (ANU) student whose relatives were allegedly killed by the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza was asked to provide their death certificates to obtain an exam extension.
Incident at ANU
Barrister Yasser Bakri, representing the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network, questioned ANU acting provost Professor Joan Leach about the case on Thursday. Bakri said the student was told by their supervisor they would need to obtain proof of the deaths. Leach stated she was unaware of the specific case but described the staffer's response as inappropriate.
Safety Review of Encampment
Leach also addressed concerns about a pro-Palestine encampment on campus, which was set up in April 2024. She denied the university had lost control, revealing an internal safety review found the encampment had a high psychosocial risk rating. The review, finalized in October 2024, led to new procedures for handling protests. Leach noted that security services actively monitored the encampment to ensure student safety.
Alleged Nazi Salute Investigation
Leach was questioned about an investigation into an alleged Nazi salute at a student association meeting in May 2024. The investigation found that a gesture interpreted as a Hitler moustache was actually a common gesture by the student to cover a facial feature. Regarding the alleged salute, video evidence was inconclusive, and other students said it was not a Nazi salute. The investigation concluded there was no misconduct.
