Stricter rules for encampment; two previous incidents may be reported to the police

On Tuesday morning, cleaners were busy removing the graffiti from the tent camp on campus Woudestein. Protesters will no longer be allowed to add any new slogans to walls or streets. The university will immediately report any protesters that ignore this new rule to the police. The university may also decide to report two previous incidents.

The Executive Board believes it has to impose stricter rules because of the anti-Semitic slogans and threatening language that were scrawled in the area. The spokesperson would not comment on the exact nature of the anti-Semitic slogans. However, she did mention ‘Fuck the CvB (Executive Board, ed.), Fuck Ed Brinksma‘ as an example of threatening language.

High-pressure cleaners

A cleaner started removing slogans from the windows of the Erasmus Food Plaza on Tuesday morning. Another cleaner sprayed away the Palestinian flag on Institutenlaan. The hoses of the high-pressure cleaners were run right through the tent camp, but the protesters have not stopped the cleaners from doing their work so far.

From now on, the Executive Board will only allow protesters to use banners and cardboard signs to express their views. The Executive Board circulated a clear message on Monday afternoon: “Any subsequent defacement, placarding or destruction on campus Woudestein will be reported to the police immediately.”

Two incidents may be reported

According to a spokesperson, nothing has been reported yet, and the university will not be filing police reports retrospectively for slogans that have already been painted. However, two exceptions are possible. Firstly, the Executive Board is reviewing the damage to the large LED screen on Erasmus Plaza, which had the words ‘Free Gaza’ spray-painted on it at the beginning of the protest. Fixing the damage could cost thousands of euros. The university is considering whether or not to report the perpetrators to the police. The spokesperson says that a number of protesters were seen climbing onto the screen.

Secondly, an investigation is now underway about an incident in which a student, who was walking across campus carrying an Israeli flag, was chased away by protesters. “The person concerned will need to decide whether or not this matter should be reported to the police”, the spokesperson said.

'Insufficient reason to terminate the demonstration'

The Executive Board is in ‘close contact’ with the triumvirate (mayor, police and public prosecutor) about how the protest is developing. The Executive Board writes that the triumvirate sees ‘insufficient reason’ to terminate the demonstration at the present time. The Executive Board is still open to talks with the protesters, but only under certain conditions. “We want the protesters to identify themselves, remove their face coverings and agree to meet in a place where both sides can talk properly. And that’s not in the tent camp.”