Thousands of students are gathering at mass meetings on university campuses across the country to debate and vote on whether the federal government and universities should implement sanctions on Israel.
The national student referendum on Palestine comes after nearly two years of protests, sit-ins, and encampments, and seeks to hold both the government and universities accountable by demanding concrete action.
National Union of Students Education Officer James McVicar told AAP the referendum provided a chance for students across the country to vote on ending universities' links to companies involved in the supply of weapons to Israel.
He anticipates more than 5000 people to sign up to vote over the coming week.
"It shows that students are feeling anger, and outrage, and horror (about) the images coming out of Gaza," Mr McVicar says.
"Students and the general population are frustrated that the government and their universities have not listened to the overwhelming popular support for an end to the war.
"Not just a tokenistic recognition of a Palestinian state further down the track."
Two votes have already taken place at Victoria University and Griffith University, with students voting overwhelmingly in favour of calling on the federal government to impose sanctions on Israel.
The majority of the votes will take place over the next week.
The vote comes just days after a report revealed Melbourne University breached Victoria's Privacy and Data Protection Act when it used its wi-fi network to monitor students and staff holding a pro-Palestine protest in 2024.
Rachel Dixon, the state's deputy commissioner described the incident as a "significant breach of trust".
A separate inquiry in July found that the university's conduct had contributed to an atmosphere of self-censorship, discouraging students and staff from speaking openly about pro-Palestinian movements on campus.
Mr McVicar hopes the vote will pressure universities to respond to student sentiment and take meaningful action.
"The point of the referendum is to put them under pressure to respond," he adds.
"We have a mass display of student democracy and an expression of the student voice directed straight at them and straight at the Australian government."
The referendum comes amidst a raft of events including a nationwide march for Palestine on Sunday.
