{"id":120107,"date":"2020-11-24T11:57:31","date_gmt":"2020-11-24T10:57:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=120107"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:25:15","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:25:15","slug":"university-rebellion-urges-university-to-fight-climate-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2020\/11\/24\/university-rebellion-urges-university-to-fight-climate-change\/","title":{"rendered":"University Rebellion urges university to fight climate change"},"content":{"rendered":"

It is time universities assumed some responsibility in combating climate change, according to the manifesto<\/a> presented to the executive boards of twelve Dutch universities by University Rebellion. The action group feels that the education institutions are currently negligent in this regard. \u201cHere in Rotterdam we also wanted to protest on campus,\u201d says student Gideon Frey, speaking on behalf of the group. \u201cI mean, EUR has ties with Shell, so it could probably do with a clearer message.\u201d<\/p>\n

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University Rebellion.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTessa Hofland<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

When the students unfold their banner near Erasmus\u2019s statue next to the auditorium, there are more guards in attendance than protesting students. Because, yeah, we are in the middle of a coronavirus pandemic, which means that not all thirty members were allowed to attend. Four protesters were intending to hand out flyers, but they aren\u2019t allowed to do that, either, because of the pandemic. Moreover, the message chalked onto the campus\u2019s pavement has become illegible due to the rain. At one point it said \u2018Act now!\u2019, as well as a few other things. The students do not care whether the words are legible or not, as long as the university promises to take action.<\/p>\n

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Early Thursday morning, protesters chalked messages on university grounds.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tUniversity Rebellion<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe climate is changing fast,\u201d says Gideon, who is doing a double master degree in Philosophy and Economics. \u201cWe are now a ship heading for an iceberg. We are steering off course just a tiny little bit, but we will hit the iceberg full on anyway. We must change course, and quickly.\u201d University Rebellion wants universities to become carbon neutral, significantly reduce the amount of waste they produce, stop collaborating with polluting companies and incorporate climate change into their curriculums. \u201cThis is something that will affect all of us, so why aren\u2019t we all learning about it?\u201d<\/p>\n

University Rebellion is an independent movement, but it is affiliated with the better-known Extinction Rebellion, which is active all over the world. In November 2018<\/a>, thousands of protesters occupied five bridges in London, and in April 2019<\/a> a funeral procession was organised in Rotterdam, mourning the future of our planet. The university branch of the action group officially embarked on its activities on Thursday. \u201cYou\u2019ll be hearing from us,\u201d Gideon promises before walking away with the other students.<\/p>\n

A guard follows the protesters when they leave, to check whether they are not surreptitiously handing out flyers after all.<\/p>\n

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Early Thursday morning, protesters chalked messages on university grounds.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tUniversity Rebellion<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t

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De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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