Sieges begin at two unis
Barricades go up for draft resisters
Students barricaded themselves into students’ union buildings at Sydney University and Monash University Melbourne,yesterday and declared parts of the buildings “draft sanctuaries.”
Draft resisters Jack Page,21,Peter Galvin,20,John Noyes,23,and Michael Hamel-Green,27,on July 19,1972.Robert Pearce
They are defying police to move in and arrest a number of draft resisters who are with them during a siege planned to last at least two days.
At Sydney University,students voted 562 to 539 in favour of the draft sanctuary.
During the meeting,four men claiming to be draft resisters—Michael Hamel-Green,27,Jack Page,21,John Noyes,23,and Peter Galvin,20 — waited in a room in the nearby zoology building.
Afterwards about 50 students escorted them to the Holme and Sutherland rooms on the top floor of the union.
Several builders’ labourers helped the students to barricade the two main doorways leading to the rooms with metal scaffolding and chairs.
Peter Galvin awaiting the students’ decision.Robert Pearce
Clambering in and out of the rooms over the union roof,the students brought in food,blankets and a record player.
They arranged rosters for an all-night watch for police.
They also began to set up their own radio station,which would broadcast music and messages attacking conscription. This would be heard within about five miles around the university.
The chairman of the union board,Mr Phil Jones,declared that he could not accept the students’ vote as binding. The students were “illegally commandeering the building.”
But he would not call in the police,he added.
At Monash University,four draft resisters —Tony Dalton,23,John Barley,22,Peter Gunning,21,and John Halpin,24 — are being “given sanctuary.”
Organisers said they were prepared for a repetition of last September’s siege at Melbourne University when police burst into the union building in an attempt to arrest four resisters.
Tony Dalton and and Michael Hamel-Green were both involved in the earlier occupation.
Hundreds of students were last night drifting in and out of the “draft sanctuary” at Mona University,while about 60 students were staying put in the Sydney University sanctuary.
A student places the last chair in position in a “barricade” blocking the Union staircase.Robert Pearce
MELBOURNE,Wednesday. Returned servicemen had a responsibility to help young people understand wars,the Lieutenant-Governor Sir Edmund Herring,said today.
“Once they begin to understand,they take a different view of the defence of this country,” he told the annual conference of the Victorian Branch of the RSL.
“Some people suggest that returned servicemen were responsible for starting wars.
“Young people must realise that we did not start wars—we were trying to protect ourselves from aggression.
“A lot of people are opposed to all sorts of things,many of which they do not understand.
“But this does not seem to deter them from going on with the protest.”