"Australia is no different. Academics here described to me similar instances where students from China said their families were harassed or intimidated in response to what those students had said in the classroom,"she said.

"So this is not surprising or unusual. The question is what are universities doing to counter such retaliation?"

The Chinese embassy did not respond to a request for comment.

Organisers of the University of Queensland rally were objecting to its links to the Chinese government and at one point held a sit-in of the Beijing-funded Confucius Institute.

The day descended into violence after protestors were confronted by supporters of the Chinese Communist Party. Footage shared on social media depicted tense scenes as pro-CCP students attempted to disrupt the gathering.

China's consul-general in Brisbane,Xu Jie,subsequently issued a statement praising"the spontaneous patriotic behaviour of Chinese students"at the university in response to"people with ulterior motives[who] conducted anti-Chinese separatist activities".

The intervention earned a rebuke from Foreign Minister Marise Payne,who said the government expected foreign diplomats to respect the right to freedom of expression in Australia"even on contentious and sensitive issues".

Some students who attended the protests have since complained of intimidation and harassment online,including death threats.

A spokeswoman for the University of Queensland said it"does not condone any actions that prevent free speech"and encouraged concerned students to seek advice and assistance from support services.

"We encourage the respectful and lawful expression of views,and make every effort to provide a safe environment for mature debate,"the spokeswoman said.

"Following the protests,UQ has been in contact with students regarding any concerns raised either formally or informally about their safety,or their welfare."

She urged students concerned about their safety or possible criminal behaviour to contact police.