{"id":153946,"date":"2023-04-28T15:45:03","date_gmt":"2023-04-28T13:45:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=153946"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:26:45","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:26:45","slug":"shocked-reactions-after-evacuation-in-groningen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2023\/04\/28\/shocked-reactions-after-evacuation-in-groningen\/","title":{"rendered":"Shocked reactions after evacuation in Groningen"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last Tuesday, activists occupied the Groningen Academy Building. Police evacuated the building the same evening. Students condemn the violence. The university administration believes there was no other way.<\/p>

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Groningen University\u2019s Academy Building in Broerstraat in Groningen. <\/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\tWutsje \/ Wikimedia Commons<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Activists occupied the Groningen Academy Building on Tuesday because they disagreed with the dismissal<\/a> of lecturer and whistleblower Susanne T\u00e4uber. She previously criticised the diversity policy and social safety at the University of Groningen (RUG). The university considers the working relationship disrupted and is dissolving her contract.<\/p>\n

The building was evacuated by the police in the evening. Footage<\/a> shows a student being dragged down a staircase by his legs. A university lecturer tells<\/a> Dagblad van het Noorden she was beaten while she did not even participate in the occupation.<\/p>\n

Students have reacted with shock to the violence. Action group Student RUG speaks<\/a> to broadcaster OOG of \u2018a completely avoidable escalation\u2019 and therefore demands that the board resign.<\/p>\n

Shocked<\/h2>

The Dutch Student Union (LSVb) also condemned the images of the eviction and spoke<\/a> in the Algemeen Dagblad of the \u2018heavy-handed dragging out\u2019 of people. President Joram van Velzen is shocked: \u201cThis does not fit with a university that wants to be a place for dialogue and democracy\u201d.<\/p>\n

According to the Groninger Studentenbond, it is time for the university to do all it can to make everyone feel safe. The union said<\/a> it was \u2018in solidarity\u2019 with the activists.<\/span><\/p>\n

Minor<\/h2>

But the university argues<\/a> that the police started evacuating after the students were \u2018asked several times\u2019 to leave the building. Actually, the activists and the administration were supposed<\/a> to engage in a dialogue, but that went nowhere and the day \u2018unfortunately ended in a negative way because of this\u2019, the university said.<\/p>\n

There was an earlier occupation<\/a> in March, after which it was agreed to talk further. That remains the goal, says the board. \u201cOur door is always open.\u201d<\/p>\n

A police spokesman told<\/a> Dagblad van het Noorden<\/em> that no arrests had been made. \u201cIn our view, it all went peacefully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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