The OccupyEUR group, consisting of students, staff and external climate activists, demands that the university cuts ties with fossil fuel companies. They also demand an end to the ‘precarious’ situation of researchers and teachers, an end to student debt and better accessibility to education buildings. In an open letter, they explain their demands and collect signatures.
Fossil industry
OccupyEUR stems from an international movement, in which university buildings are occupied to draw attention to climate change. The organisers hope that through this protest, they can get the university to take action. “A while back, cooperation between the Rotterdam School of Management and Shell was officially ceased, but that was clearly for show. There is still plenty of cooperation with the fossil industry in all sorts of ways, this really can’t go on. In internal discussions, the current four requirements emerged as pressing things that need to be changed”, one of the organisers, Psychology student Charlie, said.

OccupyEUR plans to hold speeches, workshops and panel discussions today. EUR security will be present at the entrance of the Sanders building checking student cards, around forty activists will be present around 11am.
It isn’t clear yet how long the occupation will last, but some activists have brought a sleeping mat.
Response Executive Board
In a written response, the Executive Board said it ‘understands’ the group’s motivations. The university ‘share concerns’ about climate and the future. “The university takes its responsibility in that regard and has been actively implementing sustainability in all layers of the organisation for some time, through various initiatives,” said Ed Brinksma, president of the Board. He also said he hopes that classes and research on campus will ‘not be hindered’.




Thank you OccupyEUR! You’re giving voice to the silent discontent diffused among us staff and students. Your action is a resonating call for taking matters into our own hands, and the refusal to be appeased by green public relations stunts.
For comparison, see how in Spain just two weeks ago students at the Autonomous University of Barcelona protested (in the thousands) for a week to get a mandatory climate crisis module for all students at their university: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/12/barcelona-students-to-take-mandatory-climate-crisis-module-from-2024
This is not a localized, parochial phenomenon; but one in which our university stands to win by being an early adopter of progressive climate policies and education.
To all those who think that this is not the way to go, because of its disruptive nature:
What to you make of the disruptive approach which destroys people and ecosystems, which companies such as Shell, ING and ABP (to name but a few that EUR works closely with) are responsible for?
How many more papers need to be published on this for the university to listen?
Quick TLDR’s:
Gasmiljarden van ING:
https://pointer.kro-ncrv.nl/de-gasmiljarden-van-ing
ABP en waar je pensioen als EUR medewerker geinvesteerd in wordt:
https://www.worldanimalprotection.nl/nieuws/deze-schokkende-dingen-doen-pensioenfondsen-met-jouw-poen
Waarom “Shell must fall”:
https://code-rood.org/nl/shell-must-fall/
I was absolutely heartbroken by seeing peaceful students being dragged out of the building and arrested due to the absolute lack of care, true care, not greenwashing, of the university. Shameful!!!
The CvB states that they heard from”very reliable sources that we could no longer guarantee the safety of our staff, students and the protesters on our campus.”
By calling in the ME it was YOU, CvB, who put the students’ safety at play.
The students had no plans for violent escalation, this can be easily demonstrated by their non-violent action plan.
Shame on you, EUR, violent retaliation to silence dissenting student voices is the lowest you could sink.
Why was the police sent to pull protestors out of tghe building well before the closing hours? Where is the dialogue? Why an aggressive response? How does the university think the protestors from vulnerable groups would feel being physically removed by police officers while peacefully protesting in a university and in a building where classes on law/justice/rights occur! A university is supposed to represent freedom of expression and democracy. Why policing protestors? It’s violent, patronizing, patriarchal, capitalistic.
What next? >> The Board must apologize for treating students this way and not entering in a dialogue. The Board must respond in constructive ways to make a positive impact. Societal impact is not made by writing the words down in bold letters on a building. Impact requires the university to move into learning and stepping into an uncomfortable zone. It requires courage and humility. It requires moving from the ‘we understand’ as diplomatic lingo to actually understanding through all senses (listening deeply without using power to control people’s voice!) and sitting at the table at the same level, with people who demand justice and care to our planet and spaces and who raise very valid points.
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