Pro-Palestinian protest on Woudestein campus: what to expect?

According to announcements, the students, united under the name Palestine Solidarity Rotterdam, will gather at Erasmus Plaza at 13.00. The participants demand that the university sever relations with Israeli institutions as well as disclose all ties with cooperation partners that profit from or operate from occupied territories. They also demand that the university show solidarity and support for Palestinian students and staff. In addition, the students ask the university to issue a statement on a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

The Executive Board (EB) also made its voice heard ahead of the protest. The safety of students, staff and participants alike is paramount, the board stressed in an e-mail to all students and staff sent on Tuesday evening. “Naturally, we hope for a respectful and open conversation like the one that has taken place before”, the board wrote. “We hope to avoid scenes like the one in Amsterdam. We as Erasmus University will not accept discrimination, anti-Semitism, hate speech, vandalism or violence.” At the bottom of the email, the board refers to the house rules for demonstrations.

During the protest, the campus will remain open, with the exception of the Sanders Building and part of the Erasmus Building. These can only be entered on presentation of a employee pass. All educational activities not taking place in the Sanders building will continue. Furthermore, shops, the Food Plaza and café In de Smitse will be closed from 11 am.

The university is accommodating students who do not feel comfortable on campus during the protest. They may skip a compulsory course or examination on Thursday, as long as they report to their lecturer in advance. For employees, it is possible to work from home. Should lecturers giving lectures on Thursdays not feel safe, they can discuss this with their supervisors, the board wrote.

Last week, the university had already distributed an overview of its collaborations with Israeli knowledge institutions, by which the board faced a lot of criticism from the biggest Rotterdam party Leefbaar Rotterdam for allegedly kowtowing to protesters. In addition, the EUR is setting up a committee to assess international partnerships, including cooperation with Israeli institutions.