Pro-Palestinian occupations: police evacuates in Utrecht, but not in Amsterdam

On the campus of Utrecht University, activists built tents and barricades. But many of them left before the riot police proceeded to evacuate. About fifty remained, writes news platform DUB.

They were removed around 12.30 am. Some arrests were made. “This feels like a loss”, wrote the university board in an email to students and staff. ‘We would have preferred that the protest – for which we provided space – had ended without police intervention.’

The University of Amsterdam was occupied for the second time last night. This second night, the board did not report the incident, so the police had no reason to evacuate. The board will talk to the protesters this morning about their demands, writes the university magazine Folia.

The first demonstration was ended by the riot police on the night of Monday to Tuesday. This involved ‘disproportionate violence by the UvA against its own students’, according to the National Student Union LSVb and the local student union ASVA. Staff and other sympathisers also participated.

There were 169 protesters arrested (more than previously reported). Some protesters also resorted to violence: one policeman was injured. Two participants are still in jail for this reason.

‘We understand that this police action evoked emotions and we saw how that was expressed in the [new] demonstration in a peaceful way,’ reads a statement from the UvA board.

Both UvA and Utrecht University boards showed understanding of the emotions. “We share the anger and outrage felt about the war,” an earlier UvA statement reads, “and we understand that there are protests about it. We stress that within the university, dialogue about it is the only answer.”

The Utrecht board wrote: ‘As a university, we share these concerns and feelings of sadness, outrage and helplessness about the violence resulting from this conflict. We sympathise with everyone affected by this conflict, from whatever side.’

On X, the Amsterdam protesters received support from MP Doğukan Ergin (Denk). “After all, they are doing what the government is knowingly failing at: standing up and risking their necks for international justice.”

BBB leader Caroline van der Plas, on the other hand, showed less understanding and called for a debate. “Pro-Palestine demonstrations also attract extremists”, she tweeted. She had already alerted to this in the Lower House.

Geert Wilders (PVV) posted a video of a protester beating a counter-demonstrator with a stick ( not mentioning that the pro-Palestinian group had also been attacked). He later spoke of ‘Jew-haters with sticks and beards’.

Demonstrators had chased away journalists from De Telegraaf, shouting ‘Every day the media lies!’ About that, VVD leader Dilan Yezilgüz tweeted, “It’s unacceptable that you prevent a journalist from doing his work. Demonstrating is fine, but that freedom does not include depriving press of their freedom!” On camera, she said she found it disgusting.

Protesters all over Europe have also set up tent camps at universities, as happened earlier in the United States. Some are allowed to stay put, others are being cleared, writes news agency AP.