Backlash erupts as photo of 600 Sydney University students staging a controversial vote gets global attention

A photo of Sydney University students almost unanimously refusing to condemn Hamas’ October 7 atrocities against Israelis has drawn international criticism.

The photo taken on Wednesday shows nearly all hands raised in a packed lecture hall as the University of Sydney Student Council’s AGM overwhelmingly rejected a motion condemning Hamas attacks.

Instead, the roughly 600 students in attendance passed a motion supporting Hamas in its “armed resistance” against Israel, prompting political activist Drew Pavlou to tweet Thursday condemning the crowd as “genocidal lunatics.”

Pavlou’s tweet was echoed by famed Wall Street investor Steve Eisman, who was played by Steve Carell in the Hollywood blockbuster The Big Short.

“Only people warped by this kind of ideology can support a bunch of murderers while simultaneously condemning their Jewish victims,” he tweeted Friday.

“What I sincerely believe is that the far left is on an intellectual journey that will ultimately lead many to call for the extermination of Israel and all Jews. Some of them are already there.”

Confronting footage of the same gathering has been widely shared on social media, showing student Freya Leach speaking out in support of condemning Hamas, while Palestinian flags are waved in the audience and she is drowned out in several places.

“There is no justification for the cold-blooded slaughter of innocent people,” Ms Leach said, drawing loud cheers and boos from the audience.

“Hamas is a brutal jihadist regime. You cannot say you stand up for women and not condemn the rape of Israeli women.”

Her next point is so unwelcome to the audience that she has to wait a moment for the noise to die down before she can repeat her sentence.

“You cannot say you support gay people and not condemn Hamas, which has a Sharia view on gays and says they should be thrown off buildings,” she said.

“You cannot support human rights and at the same time support a radical jihadist terror regime that is responsible for the deaths of these Palestinians and Israelis.”

When her time to speak was up, Ms. Leach defiantly unfurled an Israeli flag and carried it up the auditorium steps to her seat as the audience continued to cheer.

The pro-Israel lobby group Australian Jewish Association sent the images to X.

“Students who support terrorism cheered and laughed at Hamas’ atrocities,” the association said.

‘A motion was passed calling for the destruction of the Jewish state.

‘The University of Sydney has fallen. It is no longer safe for Jewish students. The weakness of Vice-Chancellor Mark Scott has caused this.’

Colin Wight, emeritus professor of international relations at the University of Sydney, responded to the tweet.

“Incredibly brave. Do you have details on the motions that were passed, and by whom (the student union),” he wrote.

Despite an extremely hostile crowd, University of Sydney student Freya Leach spoke passionately in condemning Hamas atrocities

‘I am an emeritus professor at the University of Sydney and if I think the motions are crossing the line I will write to Mark (not that I expect him to listen).

“But I am also a big supporter of academic freedom, so it depends on how the motions are formulated.”

The University of Sydney issued a statement after the meeting saying it “unequivocally condemns violence, terrorism and any violation of human rights.”

The university stated that “less than one percent of our student population attended the SRC meeting” and that they were independent of university governance.

“The university is investigating reports of inappropriate behavior at the event and has sought advice from law enforcement regarding the legality of certain materials used to promote the event,” the statement said.

According to the statement, Professor Joanne Wright, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Education, wrote to the event organisers ‘remind[ing]them of their obligations to adhere to the institution’s code of conduct’.

However, the student council responded strongly with a statement on its Facebook page, accusing the university of “hypocrisy” and of “defamation” and “slander” against the democratic meeting.

“An overwhelming majority voted in favor of the motion demanding that the university sever its ties with arms companies involved in the Gaza genocide and with Israeli universities that have a proven track record of collaborating with the Israel Defense Forces and operating on stolen Palestinian land,” the statement said.

“It was a historic expression of resistance by the student community against our university’s complicity in the genocide taking place in Gaza.”

The Council claimed the gathering was the largest in decades.

“The (University of Sydney) statement fails to acknowledge the record number of students attending the university, nor does it address widespread concerns about the university’s ties to Israel,” the statement said.

The students also alleged that the university “failed to substantiate any of its allegations of violations of university policy or law with evidence.”

“This is an attempt to discredit a peaceful, democratic event,” the council said, accusing the university of threatening the independence of the student community and questioning their right to comment on the matter.