Hateful flyers targeting Chinese students have been found scattered in at least two university campuses in Melbourne on Monday.
One of the offensive posters found in University of Melbourne contained a message written in simplified Chinese characters, saying: “Chinese people were not allowed into the building, otherwise they would be deported,” according to ABC
An image of the said poster was posted on Twitter by Lisa Lu, a University of Melbourne student. She wrote, “I don’t know who would do this on the very first day of the new semester,” Lu wrote in response. “Even [if] it’s a joke, IT’S NOT FUNNY AT ALL.”
The incident is now currently under investigation by the Victoria Police. Campus security staff have since removed the racist flyers and submitted CCTV footage to local authorities for inspection.
In a statement, the university said it did not “tolerate activities of hatred and intolerance”.
“We are committed to maintaining and strengthening a vibrant, inclusive and respectful campus community in which diversity is recognised, valued and celebrated. Our university campus is open to the public.”
It added that there was no evidence to conclude that the flyers were produced or distributed by anyone associated with the university.
Similar posters were spotted at Monash University, which acted immediately in coordinating with the authorities.
Monash also posted a statement on Facebook condemning the incident:
“Our security teams became aware of a number of offensive, racist and hate-filled posters on poster boards at the Clayton campus,” it stated.
“We actioned immediately, removing all the posters and contacting student leaders. Since then, we have contacted the local police and Monash City Council.”
