Australian National University students defy order to disband pro-Palestine encampment

CANBERRA: Student protesters have defied an order to leave a pro-Palestine encampment at the Australian National University (ANU).

The ANU on Monday officially ordered protesters to pack up and leave the encampment at its main campus in Canberra's northern suburbs, citing serious safety concerns that the camp is blocking an emergency evacuation site, Xinhua news agency reported.

After voting to defy the order and remain at the site, protesters on Monday morning formed a human barrier around the edge of the encampment, according to state media the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

Located in the centre of the ANU's Kambri precinct, the encampment was set up in late April as an act of protest against the university's ties with Israeli institutions amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

In a statement issued on Monday, occupants of the encampment said they would continue their peaceful demonstration.