Campus free speech alive and well, say Aussie universities

Review finds no systemic pattern of free speech being impeded

The debate about free speech on campus has prompted fresh discussion about the rights of Chinese students to speak freely at Australian universities, which have about 324,000 foreign students. PHOTO: NYTIMES
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Last September, a controversial social commentator, Ms Bettina Arndt, was due to speak at Sydney University as part of a lecture tour in which she disputed claims that women were unsafe on campuses.

When Ms Arndt arrived to talk about what she called the "Fake Rape Crisis", a group of protesters attempted to block the event and to stop her from entering the venue. Riot police were called, but the event went ahead eventually.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 20, 2019, with the headline Campus free speech alive and well, say Aussie universities. Subscribe