COLONEL RICHARD KEMP CBE

DrMichaelSpenceBALLBSydneyDPhilPGDipTheolOxf
ViceChancellor
UniversityofSydney

12March2015

DearDrSpence,

IwasinvitedtospeaktostudentsattheUniversityofSydneyatlunch
timeon11March2015inasessionchairedbyDrGilMerom,oneofyoursenior
lecturers.Mysubjectwasethicaldilemmasofmilitaryoperationsinrelationto
recentconflicts.Ihadintendedtoengagewithstudents,presentmypractical
experiencesasaBritishmilitarycommanderandstimulateadiscussion.

ShortlyafterIhadintroducedmytalk,coveringtheprinciplesof
necessity,proportionalityanddiscriminationastheyapplyunderthelawsof
armedconflictandgivingexamplesfrommyexperienceinNorthernIrelandand
Afghanistan,theeventwasdisruptedbytheforcefulentryofagroupofstudents.

Theyenteredtheroomaggressivelyandnoisily.Theyhadaloudspeaker
setatfullvolumeintowhichoneofthestudentswasscreamingabusedirectedat
me.Theotherstudentswerechantingthesameabusivewordsandsomewere
wavingbannersandplacards.Theywereshouting:RichardKemp,youcant
hide,yousupportgenocide.Thisgroupwasjoinedintheirchantsbyafewin
theaudiencewhohadapparentlypositionedthemselvesintheroompreviously
inordertojoinintheplannedprotest.

Theprotestersimposedthemselvesbetweentheaudienceandme.This,
combinedwiththeloudnessoftheirscreamingandshouting,madecontinuation
ofmylectureimpossibleuntilaftertheyhadleft.Iobservedtheaudience,and
manyofthem,includingsomeelderlyvisitors,wereclearlyintimidatedbythe
aggressionoftheseprotesters.Severalmembersoftheaudienceappealedtothe
protesterstoleavetoallowthelecturetocontinueandtheseweremetwitheven
greateraggressionincludingpersonalverbalabuse.InsomecasesIsawthe
protestorsdeliberatelyandaggressivelyinvadethepersonalspaceofmembers
oftheaudience,includingatleastoneelderlywoman.

Universitysecurityofficerswhowerealreadypresentintheroomasked
theprotesterstoleave.Whentheyabusivelyrefusedtodoso,thesecurity
officersattemptedtophysicallymovethemout.Theyresistedandpushedand
shovedthesecurityofficers,impedingthemfromdoingtheirjobs.
Itseemedtomethat,intryingtoejecttheprotesters,thesecurityofficers
wereactingoutofconcernforthesafetyoftheaudiencemembers,asthe
intimidationbytheprotestersincreased.


AssociateProfessorJakeLynch,theDirectorofyourCentreforPeaceand
ConflictStudies,andDrNicholasRiemer,oneofyourseniorlecturers,whowere
bothapparentlyleadingandencouragingtheprotesters,screamedatthe
securityofficerstodesist.Thisseemedtobeaclearattempttoimposetheirown
authorityasfacultymembers,therebyhopingtointimidatethesecurityofficers
intoallowingtheabusivedemonstrationtocontinue.

AtonepointIobservedAssociateProfessorLynchwavingmoneyinthe
faceofaJewishstudent,aclearlyaggressiveandinsultingactthatseemedto
invokethestereotypeofthegreedyJew.AlthoughnotJewishmyself,Ifound
AssociateProfessorLynchsbehaviordeeplyshockingandoffensive.

Ifeltthelanguagedirectedagainstmetobeabusiveandinsulting.Ihave
neversupportedagenocidenorthekillingofciviliansofwhichIwasalso
accusedbytheprotesters.InfactIhavedevotedmyentireworkinglifeasa
Britishsoldiertodefendingmycountryandthecountriesoffriendsandallies;to
preventingkilling,terrorismandethniccleansing;topeacekeepingandto
humanitarianoperations.Ihavefrequentlyriskedmyownlifetodoso.Ihave
oftenservedalongsidetroopsfromyourowncountry.SurelyitisnotrightthatI,
asaguestofyouruniversityandavisitortoyourcountry,shouldbesubjectedto
suchgratuitousinsultsandslander.

Althoughthestudentsattemptedtointimidatemeaswellastheaudience
members,Ididnotfeelpersonallythreatened,asIhavefacedconsiderably
greaterdangersandthreatsthancouldpossiblybepresentedorcontemplated
bysuchpeople.However,manyoftheaudiencemembersundoubtedlyfelt
threatenedandintimidatedbythenakedaggressionshowntothembythese
students.Iaskyouifitisrightthatstudents,membersofstaffandvisitorsto
youruniversity,includingelderlypeople,shouldbesubjectedtothisformof
abuse?FrommyobservationsoftheaudienceIhavenodoubtthatsomeofthem
weregreatlyandunderstandablytraumatisedbythisexperience.

ManymembersoftheaudiencewereJewishandIamsurethe
demonstratorsknewthisandsetoutwiththeintentionofintimidatingJewsat
theUniversityofSydney.ThisofcourseisnothingotherthanantiSemitismand
itcompoundstheactsofintimidationbytheprotesters.

Onthebasisofmyobservations,asIhavementioned,AssociateProfessor
LynchandDrRiemersoughttoinciteandencouragethestudentprotesters.Can
itberightthatmembersofyouruniversitystaffshouldindulgeinsuch
disgracefulaction?

Peacefulandreasonabledemonstration,suchashandingoutleaflets,
chantingdissentingviewsorholdingplacardswithmessagesofoppositiontothe
viewsofaspeaker,isofcourseacceptable.Indeed,suchapeaceful
demonstrationwasunderwayoutsidewhenIenteredtheroomformylecture.I
wasofferedandacceptedaleaflet,whichIreadandIbrieflyengagedin
discussionwithaprotester.


Howeverthetypeofraciallymotivatedaggression,intimidationand
abusethatoccurredatthiseventiswhollyunacceptable.Alsounacceptablein
anyrespectableuniversityisthecurtailmentofaninvitedandapproved
speakersfreedomtospeakandengageinlegitimateacademicdiscoursesuchas
Iexperiencedatyouruniversity.

Iurgeyoutoinvestigatethisincidentandtotakeactionagainstthe
studentsandstaffmemberswhowereresponsibleforthebehaviorthatIhave
described.Ifyoufailtodosothenyouwillbefailingtodiscouragesuchactionin
youruniversityinthefuture.Youwillthusbefailinginyourdutytoensurethat
yourstudents,visitorsandguestspeakersmaytakepartindebatewithinthe
precinctsoftheUniversityofSydneywithoutfearorconcernfortheirown
safety.

Iwouldaddthatyouhaveaparticularresponsibilityinrespectofthe
racist,antiSemiticnatureofthisprotest.AsyouknowantiSemitismisarising
phenomenonintheworld.Jewsinmanyplacesliveinincreasingfearand
concernthattheywillbesingledoutanddiscriminatedagainst.Onlybytaking
firmactionagainstantiSemiticabuseandhatredwheneverandwhereverit
occurscanthissituationbereversed.SydneyUniversityhastheopportunity
heretosetanexampletootheracademicinstitutionsthatlackthemoralcourage
tofaceuptothemodernscourgeofantiSemitism.

Yoursfaithfully,

ColonelRichardKempCBE