Students and staff reflect on violence in Gaza at three locations

Around 130 staff and students from Erasmus University and Erasmus MC gathered on Tuesday to remember healthcare workers and others who have died in Gaza and Lebanon. The commemoration at Erasmus MC took place outside, as demonstrators do not always feel there is space for such events indoors. People also came together at Erasmus University College and on the Woudestein campus to reflect on the violence in Gaza.

At the Erasmus MC commemoration, held on the pavement outside the building, not all 595 confirmed names of healthcare workers and students who died in Gaza were read aloud. Between speeches, around two hundred names were read, according to Geke Hasperhoven, doctor-researcher from the Erasmus MC Palestine Advocates Team, abbreviated as EMPA-T (read: empathy). The names of doctors, physiotherapists, nurses, medical students, dentists, microbiologists, midwives, and other healthcare professionals were mentioned. “I find it special to think that we all have a counterpart there”, said Hasperhoven while the reading continued.

Familiar with fear

Earlier, Hasperhoven referred in her speech to the attack on Erasmus MC, just over a year ago. “We know the fear of having to evacuate patients. That fear is familiar to us. No one is safe when hospitals are attacked,” said Hasperhoven.

White coats

On 7 October, Hamas attacked a music festival in Israel, and on 8 October, Israel responded with airstrikes on Gaza. These attacks have continued for nearly a year, also through ground operations. This is why the commemoration was held on 8 October.

During the hour-long gathering, students and staff, some in white coats, came and went. A few bystanders also watched. The attendees are frustrated that Erasmus MC had not spoken out about the attacks on doctors, ambulances, and hospitals. “Our requests to rent a room have to be approved by the Executive Board”, said Hasperhoven. “For other political themes, this is not the case. Our lunch meetings haven’t appeared on the intranet since the first time, and wearing a protest pin is no longer allowed.”

'Everyone is included'

A spokesperson for Erasmus MC responded to this, saying: “We treat every patient, regardless of background, faith, or political preference. The same applies to our students and staff; everyone is an Erasmus MC member, and everyone belongs. Erasmus MC does not take a position in this war. Staff are free to express their opinions in a personal capacity and participate in demonstrations or memorials.”

Regarding the prohibition of wearing pro-Palestinian pins, the spokesperson said: “At Erasmus MC, we have guidelines regarding the attire of certain professional groups on the work floor (nurses, lab staff, logistics, etc.). This does not apply to office workers.” The spokesperson added that the relevant group could use the part of the intranet where they can post meetings in the calendar.

Chants in front of a locked building

On the Woudestein campus, about fifty students and staff also paused to reflect on what they called the ‘ongoing genocide of Palestinians and the brutal attack on Lebanon’. They walked from Erasmus Plaza to the entrance of the Erasmus Building, where they chanted protest slogans and gave short speeches.

Upon arriving at the Erasmus Building, containing the offices of the Executive Board, the doors were immediately locked. This did not deter the demonstrators, who had no plans to enter the building. However, some visitors had to find a different entrance.

'Complicit in genocide'

Professor of Sociology Willem Schinkel (ESSB) gave a short speech in front of the building, calling the relatively low turnout at the protest ‘indicative’ of ‘what kind of institution this is.’ He added: “This institution is complicit in genocide.”

Associate professor Isabel Awad (ESHCC) called the gathering valuable because it allows people to ‘seek support from each other, knowing you are not alone in your concern about the genocide. It’s hard to follow the news every day, but we have a responsibility to keep listening and to continue following what is happening there.” Shortly afterwards, the group dispersed.

At Erasmus University College in the city centre, about thirty students and staff took to the streets to protest the violence in Gaza. They hung a banner on the building’s facade, calling for an ‘end to the genocide’ and a boycott of Israel. Things remained calm here as well.