Published 10 April 202610 April 2026 · open letter Open letter: RMIT staff and students oppose disciplinary action against Gemma Seymour over video opposing links to weapons ties RMIT University Staff and Students As of the 8th April 2026, Gemma has received notice that the Student Conduct hearing has been withdrawn. This is an important lesson in standing up for what is right and not backing down in the face of intimidation. It was vitally important that hundreds of university staff and students were willing to come to the defence of a student facing repression. Across Australia we are seeing a crackdown on free speech and repression of the Palestine movement at all levels of society. The Queensland government is arresting activists for chanting widely used pro-Palestine slogans. Universities themselves are being pressured to curb pro-Palestine protest with the roll out of the cynical antisemitism score card that conflates anti-genocide protest with antisemitism. This has been an important win, we can fight back against these attacks on our democracy. It shows you don’t just have to accept when a major institution tries to tell you to stop and that many people will back you if you take a stand. We know that we’re right and they can’t stop us. We, the undersigned RMIT University staff and students, affirm our support for freedom of expression. We oppose disciplinary proceedings opened by the University against fine arts student Gemma Seymour over a video opposing RMIT’s partnerships with the United States Department of War and weapons firms BAE Systems and Boeing. She faces a potential suspension for a video primarily designed to encourage students to vote in a National Union of Students referendum on university weapons ties. Gemma is widely known at RMIT as a pro-Palestine activist. Over the past few years, many universities have attempted to intimidate and persecute student activists for opposing their ties to weapons firms, and for standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people. The video depicts Seymour standing beneath a sign advertising the Sir Lawrence Wackett Defence and Aerospace Centre. She states her opposition to the university’s Lawrence Wackett Defence Centre, explains that it has ties to the above companies and gives details about the referendum. The referendum was hosted in 2025 by the National Union of Students with participation by thousands of students nationwide, including 600 RMIT students. It was the largest scale vote of its kind since the 1970s, and was covered widely in the media and supported by federal Greens members of Parliament. On 31 March, university disciplinary staff contacted Gemma to inform her that the university had received an anonymous complaint by an external person about the video. Their formal summary accuses Gemma of identifying the location of the Sir Lawrence Wackett Defence and Aerospace Centre. It explicitly accuses her of calling for the centre to be shut down. To discipline a student for calling for the centre to be shut down would be a gross infringement upon freedom of speech. Even the initiation of proceedings on such a basis sets a worrying precedent for all university staff and students, who should obviously have the right to criticise the university or express opinions about its facilities. The idea that Gemma has revealed a secret in depicting the location of the centre is farcical. As the video shows, the university has installed public signage which states where the centre is. The address is publicly advertised online on its own LinkdIn page, and in the Australia NZ Defence Directory. There is no indication near the signage that the centre is supposed to be a secret, and it is widely advertised by the university. Freedom of speech and expression is absolutely vital in academic institutions. Students who engage in activism should not be punished for doing so, and discipline procedures are not there to be abused as a tool of intimidation. We call for the disciplinary process against Gemma to cease immediately. Signed: Laresa Kosloff, Greg Barns SC , Caleb Hayhoe-Castle, Liam Ward, Hugh Davies, Rachel Meyer, Dr Jay Daniel Thompson , Matt Bourke, Peta Malins, Hugh Sullivan , Dr Joseph van Buuren, Keely Macarow, David Coady, Sean Lynch, Micaela Sahhar, Tom Short, Peta Murray, Clare McCracken , Aimee Howard , Bess Schnioffsky , Daniel Palmer, Luke Horton, Dr Alan Hill, Lily , Oscar Dash, Nurul Sanif, David Toma , Monique Kaye , Sarah McKenzie , Jack Mansell, Chiara Zeta, Florence Parker Phillips, Daniel Stekelenburg , Chloe Lhotka , Oliver Grohs, Danielle Binks , Lindsay Barnes, Sahara Woodworth, Tim Loveday, Lauren, Clare Strahan, Alexis Desaulniers-Lea , Louisa Syme, Connor O’Brien, Edwina Minner Saines, Zabiullah , Cameron McIndoe, Emma, Jack Byrnes, Madeleine Murphy, Brihlee Fergus, Michael Corvinus, Danielle , Conor S, Habiba Eldardir, Jacinta Dimase , Thea Lamaro, Olga Anyaogu, Caroline Carter, Jaynaya Travis, Syrin Colla, Renee mcguire, R mcguire, sofia , Yasmeen, Sarah Hassanin , Ersha Mohan, Yara Ueltschi, Ruth Brunt, Billey Durant, Diana, AC, Jasper, Jill Sharp, Melissa Fulton , amy , Felicity Cook, Ashleigh , Kai Perry , Joseph Lander, Joanne Kemerer, Aztia, S Rose, Isabel Chapman, Rachel Dunne, Shayne O’Neill , Brett Hodge , Priya Yadav, Robin Laycock, Meagan, Aero Anantaputra, Romany Claringbull, Susie Thatcher, Rusaila Bazlamit , Cate Mills, Samuel fraser, Cora Diviny, Katya Ryzhikh, Imam Supratiko, Eryx Desai, Mike Read, Jo, Anna Schwann, noah ripari, Annabelle, E Izard , Callista, Jess Findling, Dr. Brian Morris, Kat Rae , Lucy, Sun Hutchinson, Neika Lehman, Amy Sutherland , Kate Henson, Daniel Noonan, Maryam Opatokun, Daniela, Lanie Stockman, Nikki B, Annie Dennerley, Bee Bleechmore, Claire Smith, Elizabeth Read, Jenna macleod, Honor Bradbeer, Caroline Lambert, Astrid, Estefania Rivas, Alex Emrys, Dion Nania, J Lyons, Amber crittenden, Alva Kumlin, Milena Marjanovic, Ava Bakaitis, Luca , Murphy Moore, Renee Evans, Meghan Ryan, Timothy Walters , Ben Nadim, Mike riasow, Amy Spiers, Paula, Kate Cheung , Polly Hollyoak, Sophie Redman, Harris, Lucien Wilde, Saabia Major, Jay Rajoo, Vani Newby, Tanya Eccleston, Jessica Caroccia, Rachel Wheeler, Ivy Hinkley , Bridget, Malak , Clive Rothwell, Remy Keldoulis, Sasha , Emily French, Monica Dunne, Ayfer Akalin, Nashy , Hannah Brasier, Tyra Harvey, Kelly Hussey-Smith, Dr Rebecca Howe, Sandra, Anna, Helen Kwok, Gilbert GRACE, Wayne Te Whaiti , Renee Calabretta , Margareta Windisch, Lulu Rivera-Gray, Stephanie, Xavier Lee, Poppy Rechner, SB, Arben Dzika, Shae Spry, Ishbel Dunsmore, Jessie Borrelle, Ethan, Sally, Paris Jarvis, Arki, Safhira Jayne Rowe, Priscilla Cooper, David Forrest, Isla , Lil Longman, Kaia Davidson, Sorrelle, Rex Urquhart , Michael Swadling, Jodi Bott, Matilda Mourant, Nicole Lawrie, Grace Stringer , Robson Berry, Naomi Paton, Sal Orpin, Lexi Stefanakis, Emma D, Phoebe Piddocke, Eli, Sam Stolke, Lynette OBOYLE, Helene Lucas, Eleni Stamenitis , Matty, Heather Evans, Charles Kirwan, Hannah Nuridin, Yingde Han, Natasa Cordasic, Peter Ryan, Adam Ferris, Fran Lee, Ray, Jessie DiBlasi, Kris Clancy, Mona Platini, matt derody, Annabelle Goh, Frank Candiloro, Justine Hamilton-Ball, Abigail, Hilary Jones, Erryn McKay, Sophie Loone, Catherine Ryan, Peter Azzopardi, Nabila Hamed, Cathryn Ross, Emma Osborne, Sari Bare, Nadia, Mira Thurner, Chris McGinty, Robert Miller, Sarah Dove, Sophie, Jane Halson, Adriene Rodriguez, Christine Ruddy, Carrie Grace, Clare Rae, Mikala, Adrian Danks, Paola Talbert, Hannah George, Simon Maisch, Steven Rendall, Yvette Ross, Belinda Domingo, Kathryn Leppik, Helen Cook, Tom Martin, Paola, Joshua Muir, Mary Goodman, Kylie Lunghusen, N K P Sugandi, Lia Morgan, Dr Patrick Kelly, EmmaKate Rasmussen, Ahmed Ahmed , Freya Long, Randa Abdel-Fattah, Georgie Szymanski, Rachel Tropea, Sarah Treweek, Penny Macauley, Sarah Marshall, Brennagh Rickard, Dakota Horton, Tim Denshire-Key, Caitlin Phillips-Peddlesden, Quan Nguyen, Alexandra Sherlock, Carl Crotty, Steven Graham, Chris Haas , Chais Grondman, Dr Vittoria Di Stefano, Rachel Salby, Kiri O’Connor, Stavroula Lampropoulou , Demet Varol, Drew Pettifer, Brandon Davis, Carmen Reid, Amy Clarke, Alex Beer, Alice Fahey, Bev Dewar, Luke Cloos, Annie Sevil, Damian Jackson, Miranda Francis, Thao Nguyen, Martha Tuinukuafe, Nick Adams, Torika Bolatagici, Yuka Graham, Tahli Robinson, Alex Bennett, Kathryn, Marnie Zolli, Lynette Sutherland, Imagine Jobs , Isabella Corbisieri, Anastazia, Stephen Morris, Regan , Lori, Saadia, Marty Hirst, Sophie McKenzie-Stripp, Sara Jean, Mia , Sabrina, Andrea Brown , Sophie Rigney, Pipin Jamson , Mel Mulyani, Elliot Dolan-Evans, Kelly Ann Smith, Nalin Arileo, Mahal Cuya, Christine Collyer, Holly Sarlo, Halle Brown, Wendy frerichs, Yiska Krysko, Nicole Sanders, Erin, Jacob van der Eynden, Samia, Amy Truong, Dee Robinson, Kylie Edwards, Hellen sky , Megan Payne , Emily, Anne-Marie Peard, Nala Karim, Stephan Polatidis, Emily McCarron , Elise Hassett, Emma Gawronski, Annika Crees, April Lucas, Lucan Burns, Yoneene Decis , Jessica, Kathleen Chapman , Thuy Trang Pham, Rayyan , Caroline Gabriela, Minesh Nissanka, Rachel Matthews, Md Tashfiq Haque Choudhury , zayaan, Freddy, Nikolina, Yannick Thoraval, Fran Heath, Bonnie Perry, Lisa Fair, Lakshmi Srini, Dr Gretel Taylor, Natalie Bocquet, Soleil, Eric Zachariah , Safe Shahab, Anabelle , mish colla, Daina McCauley , Lynne Heggie, Harriet O’Shea Carre , Jan, Ben Hickey , Kristina, Brydie Foulds, Andrew Stapleton, Faduma A, Douglas Wilson, Amy Gilmore , Celeste , Lucian Rodriguez Lovell, Max, Andrew Gleeson, Jennifer Barron , Wendy, Lưu Gia Huy (Conan), Tran Quoc Thinh, Aidan Waterfield, Huong Vu, Kevin O’Connor, Rachel , Ngo Uyen Chi, Nguyen Ngoc Tram Anh, Dzuy Anh (Toby) Do, Le Mai Khanh, Dimitra Harvey, Mat, Amira Akhtar, Donata Carrazza, Amaan khan, Jack Dyson, Hoc Tan Luu Trinh, Kasia Lynch, G Corbett, Alexander Lugg, Ruby Walked , Alex hobba , Clyde , Martin Tegelj, Tony grey, Zach Chandler, Nguyễn thị hoàng nhu , Mounira Saoud, Bonnie Sheppard, Emma Fawcett , Bridget Radford , Vittoria Di Martino, Billie Stapleton , Karen alqasem, Maria Sheehan, Mia Collyer, Nguyễn Minh Khuê, Ashley Tieu , aiyana wall, Zeynep Cakir, Laura Neaga, Heidi Gibbeson , Colin McPartlin , Jack crosby, Siena Guest, Matthew Bullock, Stacey Currey , David Creed, Drey Willows, Fuong Le, Bora Erdogan, Claire, Rohani Osman , Annabelle Idrus , Kimberley Dinh, Nguyen Mai Thuy Huong, Gareth Morgan, Phi, Lena Stumpf , Marion Abraham , Helen Kvelde, Benjamin Rogers, Claudia Inkster , Eloise Bullard , Oscar, Lily pook-ryan, Colleen Kelly , Usman, Tam Le, Manuel Pineda, Juliana Tasevska, Emily Te, Gaye Kershaw, Jenny wright , Maha Sidaoui, Brianny, Dominique , Julia McInerney, Aya Dirani, Alex Bloom, Josh Wilkinson , Hariette Farrance, Holland, Marli, Abbey Hejheli, Clare O’Rourke, Louis Boffa, Rachael Dunstan, Bradley Dixon, Nida, Emma Whitney, Kate, Billie Taylor-Morice , Adele W, Ene’io Utoikamanu, David, Leah 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