Some of the protesters have covered their faces with Palestinian scarves, there is music and a steady stream of slogans against the war in Gaza. The demands to the Executive Board (CvB) are still the same: to make transparent all contacts and collaborations with Israeli institutions and to break those ties.
On social media, protest group Rotterdam Students for Palestine announced early this afternoon that there would be a protest. How long it will last and whether there are plans to spend the night on campus, as already happened at other universities, the protesters did not yet say.
Promises not concrete enough
The steps previously promised by the CvB, such as organising dialogue tables on the university’s role in the issue, setting up a committee to review the universities’ international collaborations and contributing to the reconstruction of Gaza, are not concrete enough for the protesters.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Çağlar Köseoğlu, a lecturer at Erasmus University College, said: “As long as the board does not meet our demands we are not going to stop. Why is the board hiding behind a committee, and can’t they themselves decide to cut ties with Israel? And a lot is still unclear about the committee: is the advice binding, what normative criteria will be used? What is the role of students and teachers?”
CvB stance ‘indefensible’
Köseoğlu calls the plans of the CvB more of a strategy to ‘neutralise the momentum of the protests and not have to make any commitments. He calls it ‘indefensible’ to take this neutral stance ‘during a genocide’. “It certainly does not do justice to EUR’s official Erasmian values, such as civic engagement and critical world citizenship.”
Köseoğlu hopes it will remain a peaceful protest and that many people will come to be informed and join the protest.
Far from my bed
About ten metres away, one of the protesting students is talking to two passing law students who are just coming out of class. They appreciate that she engaged in conversation with them. “I really liked that she tried to explain why they are standing here. I am not against this protest in itself, but it feels like a step too far to stand there”, says the student.
He himself says he is ‘against Hamas but on the side of the Palestinian people’, but also admits that the whole situation feels far from his mind.
A university spokesperson said that ‘demonstrating on campus is fine as long as it is peaceful’. “It is good to see that the demonstration seems to be proceed without incident”, he said.
Buildings accessible with pass
The university is keeping track of any measures taken via a liveblog. On it, it says: “At the moment the demonstration is proceeding peacefully, there is no reason to decide to close the buildings completely as before. All planned meetings, lectures and other events will continue. As a precaution, it has been decided that the Sanders Building, the Erasmus Building and the Mandeville Building will only be accessible on presentation of staff or student ID cards. It is simply possible to drive out of the car parks, entry is not possible at the moment. The Food Plaza closed at five as a precautionary measure’.
Exactly two weeks ago, a protest was also announced on campus, but it was moved to Central Station at the last minute after the university decided to close all buildings on campus the night before.
How about mentioning the hate speech graffiti all around campus? How about Starbucks, whose owner (being not involved in any of this) now has substantial difficulties with his job now that it involves getting windows rid of spray paint and accusations of supporting genocide? How about the main path across campus saying (in graffiti again), “30000 people murdered”?
Writing an article about the situation is the right thing to do, but please don’t write, “The atmosphere is relaxed at the start of the protest with lots of music and people singing along.” This is not a topic of singing but a growing concern for the board, the students, and the campus. Look at what’s happening in Amsterdam, and you will understand.
And consider what students who read this article should know about. Show us the whole picture, or don’t bother writing in the first place.
Exactly. Ask these so called protesters to clean up the campus walls.
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