Around 6pm, the police asked the group students and staff who had been occupying the Sanders building since Monday morning to leave the building. About 25 police stood inside or around the entrances of the building. At the time the police entered, about eighty students and staff were present. About ten activists refused to leave and were led away.
No conversation
Earlier today, it seemed that the Executive Board would enter into talks with the protesters. The university administration had been invited to the general assembly about the occupation at 6.30pm, but did not appear there.
“We could not manage it organisationally”, said a spokesperson of the Executive Board. “We invited the protesters to talk at a later time.” According to the spokesperson, the university could no longer guarantee the safety of the students, staff and protesters, so the police ended the occupation. All buildings on Woudestein campus will be closed on Monday evening.
Convivial day
Psychology student Charlie, one of the organisers of the protest, is disappointed that the Executive Board did not show up. “We are very sorry that the university suddenly didn’t want to engage with us, we were looking forward to it. Apparently, the board is too busy for this. We are here for a common goal: equality and a sustainable future. What started as a convivial day is now ending in violence.”
How can peaceful student protesters be carried away forcefully by anonymous police at a university during opening hours?
This is beyond disgusting, Erasmus.
This is a display of utter immaturity by the university. While publicly endorsing social responsibility, it does not engage in dialogue with its own protesting students, and instead uses violence to curb free expression on its campus. The fact that all buildings were preventatively closed as protesters were getting arrested reveals how afraid the administration actually was over this action. This cowardly response only strenghtens the conviction that the university is trying to cover up its complicity of which is accused of.
Such a shameful approach. I had a lecture in Sanders that day, and I felt pretty safe. The only thing the activists were doing was a sit-down strike, panel talks, and sharing soup. We have pretty good insulation at the Sanders building, so the noise did not obstruct studying or the lectures. Who decides the protest was dangerous for their students?
I hope Erasmus Magazine would publish more articles and interviews on this event. Especially from the perspectives of students, not the board. It is ridiculous that they taught us about freedom of protest and sustainability here, but they ignore both when it comes to their interests.
EUR did not only fail to engage in constructive talks, but actively compromised the safety of its own students and staff by sending in riot police, individuals armed with lethal and non-lethal weapons; introducing violence into a situation where before none existed! CvB, with their actions, are a risk to physical safety and academic freedom on their own campus.
EM can you please get your facts straight? They were not “led” out they were “forcefully dragged” out.
Hi Ivan, you’re right. That is a bit of a euphemism because of a quick translation. At that moment we didn’t know yet if somebody was arrested. ‘Dragged away’ is more accurate indeed. We’re working on a few updates about yesterday.
Wow, the Executive Board should really resign after sending the police on their own students.
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