Things definitely got a little heated between protestors and police at the farewell dinner for departing University of Wollongong vice-Vice Chancellor Paul Wellings on Friday night.
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Police on numerous times had to warn the mainly student activists to clear the way for oncoming cars dropping off dinner guests.
Some protestors were physically dragged away during the course of the evening.
The university would not divulge to the Mercury who was invited to the departing boss' farewell shindig.
And, university security and police also did all they could on Friday night to keep secret those attending the lavish dinner, which is reported to have cost up to $60,000.
Questions were asked about the cost of the dinner, but again UOW management refused to answer.
They also kept secret the guest list after reports surfaced Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Liberal Party heavyweights and former PM's John Howard and Tony Abbott had been invited to the dinner.
A UOW spokesman said the trio had never been invited and there were no signs of any past or present prime ministers at the farewell dinner.
Though this Mercury reporter spotted a number of Wollongong's civic and political leaders in the house, including Wollongong Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery and councillor Tania Brown.
Even Federal Labor politician, Member for Whitlam Stephen Jones showed up.
The Mercury was also told by a representative of the Wollongong Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA), that members of the Ramsay Foundation were at the dinner held in the Uni Hall.
Protesters voiced their opposition to the staff and budget cuts made by Professor Wellings, as well as demanded the incoming vice-chancellor Patricia Davidson reverse the cuts.
"I'm here tonight to protest against cuts to staff and conditions. I think it is incredibly appalling," UOW student Jye Langley said.
"This dinner is a bloody waste of money. That money should be going to students instead of this d******d, who spent the last year cutting staff conditions as well as ensuring a worse quality of education for all students on campus for an increased cost.
"It is bloody ridiculous and the rort needs to end."
WUSA general representative Sean McLachlan said the cuts were just the most recent of Paul Wellings' attacks on the people of the university.
"We want to send a message to incoming VC Patricia Davidson that unless she reverses his cuts, she is complicit in pillaging education at UOW," he said.
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