As the smoke clears and the grass begins to regrow at the site of encampments across Victoria, what really went on inside our universities?

With the closing of the RMIT Gaza Solidarity Encampment on Friday there are no longer any encampments on Victorian university campuses. 

Across the state Victorian universities have gone to great lengths to disband encampments on their campuses with threats of suspension, expulsion and police arrest. 

Only UniMelb for Palestine was successful in negotiating any kind of concession with The University of Melbourne committing to Disclose its partnerships with weapons manufacturers. 

“We are committed to our demands and will continue to build and fight until the University of Melbourne not only discloses, but divests in full” their media liaison said. 

All other encampments across Victoria have closed due to a combination of “aggressive university pressure”, lack of students on campus and cold wet winter months. 

Where at first the leaders of these encampments were steadfast in their position that they would “see the job through” this resolve has since faded with only one university bowing down to student pressure.

RMIT issued a media release on May 6 stating that “some members of the RMIT community are exercising their right to protest and have started an encampment today in Alumni Courtyard on the City Campus”. 

RMIT have since held fast with their stance of not engaging with the protestors in any way declining to enter discussions with students in any way. 

When contacted for comment RMIT and Vice-Chancellor Alec Cameron did not respond. 

It currently remains unclear if the encampment will reopen next semester with the protestors promising more “radical action” on campus but providing no definitive answer as to if this will include an encampment again.