Occupy must leave building at 10:30 pm

In a letter to the Occupyers in the Erasmus Building, the Executive Board informed them that the protest should end at 10:30 pm. The protesters have set up tents and rolled out mats and do not want to leave.

The memorandum, which was distributed both on paper and via student email, contains eighteen rules that the protesters must abide by. These include keeping escape routes clear, respecting others’ property and avoiding danger. The eighteenth point reads: “A protest within a building of EUR is allowed until 22:30 hrs on the relevant day on which the protest started.”

According to OccupyEUR spokesperson Elias, the protest group has no intention of abiding by that last rule. Several students and protesters have sleeping gear with them and a tent has been set up in a corner of the hall of the Erasmus building.

What the consequences will be if the protesters don’t leave the building before 10:30 pm is unknown. EM has requested clarification on this from the Executive Board, but hasn’t received an answer yet.

Two mouths

Philosophy student and Occupyer Thomas Kloos reacted furiously when the memorandum was put into his hands. Ostentatiously he tore up his copy and any others he could get his hands on in the hall. He then strode toward the paper bin to deposit them there. “I found it quite absurd that an occupied institution like EUR thinks it can impose rules on a protest. I do get that they want it, but what I don’t get is the tone deafness with which it is done. The Executive Board constantly speaks with two mouths. In the first occupation, they sent in the police first and then wanted to start the conversation. And they are actually doing that again now. They want us to leave at 10:30, so we all know how that’s going to turn out. Then we will all be dragged out again.”