On May 13, 2026, over 100 student activists congregated at the University of Melbourne’s South Lawn in solidarity with the Nakba Day Rally, before marching across campus to the Vice-Chancellor’s Office at the Raymond Priestley Building.

Demonstrators demanded that the University sever economic and political ties, as well as address what protestors described as ongoing repression of activism on campus.

The 78^th anniversary of the 1948 Nakba (‘catastrophe’ in Arabic), formally commemorated by the UN General Assembly since 2023, carries particular significance this year.

The historical milestone emerged in the wake of several major geopolitical shifts: According to independent estimates from organisations such as the British Red Cross and the Lancet, the death toll in Gaza and the West Bank has surpassed 70,000 fatalities, while in September 2025, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry formally declared that Israel had committed acts amounting to genocide in the Gaza Strip, findings which Israeli officials have rejected.

Organised by Students for Palestine, the Nakba Day Rally was endorsed by the University of Melbourne Student Union (UMSU) and the University’s branch of the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU).

Attendees of the Nakba Day Rally marched in solidarity with Palestinians, amid the ongoing war in Gaza.

Among the keynote speakers of the rally was UMSU president Lushy Chinganya, who voiced UMSU’s support for the rally during her speech.

“We stand behind what students are fighting for and want to support students who are speaking up against the University,” Lushy said to protesters.

Several other activist organisations, such as the University of Melbourne Islamic Society (UMIS), Socialist Alliance, Students Against War, Bergerak and others also joined the rally, as a gesture of solidarity with the Nakba Day demonstration.

The rally commenced with an opening address by the event’s emcee, Yasmeen, a descendant of 1948 Nakba survivors, who reminded demonstrators that the rally wasn’t a single act of support to Palestine.

“It's important that the Palestine movement not only stand up to what's happening in Palestine but also stand up for all oppressed people everywhere,” Yasmeen said, calling for global attention to conflict in the Middle East and beyond.

UMIS president Johar Malik further supported her message, stating, “Not just Palestine, but Lebanon, Iran, Sudan — so many other places around the world are struggling with this.”

In unified support, protestors chanted, “Up, up with liberation! Down, down with occupation!” and “Long live the Intifada (‘uprising’ in Arabic)!”

Among the list of the protestors’ demands was a call for the University to cut ties with weapons manufacturers and military-linked research, accompanied by chants proclaiming: “UniMelb has weapons ties! We charge you with genocide!”

UMSU president Lushy Chinganya was a keynote speaker of the Nakba Day Rally.

According to Bella Beiraghi, a co-convener of Students for Palestine Australia, “The U.S. military provides millions of dollars to the University to do research for different weapons companies and also for collaborative projects between the Australian and American military.”

These claims align with the University of Melbourne’s disclosure in June 2024, when it formally published a list of research projects involving the Australian and United States Department of Defence (DoD). The University had received funding of $27.8 million from the Australian DoD and $15.4 million from the U.S. DoD over multiple years, respectively.

Bella further asserted that “The University is on the front lines of doing weapons research which ties the University to the ongoing atrocities in the Middle East.”

Student activists endorsed this statement by lifting banners reading: “No to racism! No to war! Cut ties with Trump!” and “Weapons off campus!”. In agreement, Lushy stated in her speech that “We do care who the University has weapons ties with, and we do care about what the University is going to do about it.”

Another key demand highlighted by protestors was for the University to sever its ties with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Casey, a representative from Students Against War, condemned the University’s partnership, stating that “The core of the relationship is one of racism and apartheid.” Casey called on students to action, adding, “We need to fight to cut the University's ties with Israel.”

Since 2008, the University of Melbourne and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have maintained a memorandum of understanding to foster exchange and research. Collaboration was later expanded in 2019 with the launch of a joint PhD program.

Johar voiced his frustration towards the University’s lack of responsiveness, noting that “The University has never replied to our demands, even though we have emailed and spoken to them for years regarding divestment from Hebrew University.”

The rally continued with a speech by Dr Elizabeth Strakosch, a senior lecturer and secretary of the University of Melbourne branch of the NTEU, who voiced her concerns regarding institutional policy.

“We’ve seen the implementation of the IHRA definition of antisemitism. We already know the University's academic freedom is severely compromised,” Dr Strakosch said.

Dr Strakosch reaffirmed the NTEU's support for student academic freedoms.

Protestors told Farrago that the University’s 2023 adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism has remained a major topic of debate on campus.

Dr Strakosch concluded with a warning: “If we're getting to the point where we cannot critique the basis of states, then that's the end of critical political theory on campus.”

However, she reassured the crowd, stressing that “The NTEU is actively fighting this round on academic freedom to try to re-establish it.”

Beyond concerns regarding the University’s systemic collaborations and policies, protestors also called out the University’s approach to activism on campus. Multple students told Farrago that they feel students are facing growing repression and increasing restrictions on their ability to protest on campus grounds.

“Students no longer feel comfortable and empowered to say what they think politically and socially without putting their education and careers at risk,” Zara, a Bachelor of Science said.

Tom, a member of Students for Palestine, agreed with this sentiment, adding that “management has made it ten times tougher to protest things like this.”

Since 3 March 2025, University regulations implemented by the Vice-Chancellor have prohibited protests from being held inside campus buildings.

Demonstrators also voiced their disappointment over the removal of a seven-meter-long banner, which they had spent hours painting to promote the Nakba Day Rally. According to rally organisers, student activists had hung the banner from the Student Pavillion, only for security to cut it down.

Demonstrators condemned the University of Melbourne's 2025 protest restrictions.

Bella asserted that the removal was an attempt, “to try and probably stop students from knowing about the rally.”

According to another representative from Students for Palestine, the University management offered no justification, only stating that the space was considered “private property”.

Despite the obstacles, Reema, a co-organiser of the rally, maintained a positive outlook, stating that “No matter what, the battle is going to keep going on.”

While a police presence was visible on the scene, it remained minimal, and the rally proceeded without any clashes.

The rally concluded with a march through the Old Quadrangle, the foundational building of the University, a symbolic route that drew attention to the institution’s founding principles and protest history. The march through the Old Quadrangle prompted reflection on whether those principles have endured to this day, or whether they have been eroded by protest suppression, as student activists contend.

Ultimately, there was no doubt of the strong sense of solidarity demonstrated by Nakba Day Rally attendees in their commemoration of the 78th anniversary of the 1948 Nakba. The University administration has yet to respond to any of the demands made by protesters.

Photography by Wan Makhzanah Huriyah