{"id":154390,"date":"2023-05-09T12:38:17","date_gmt":"2023-05-09T10:38:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=154390"},"modified":"2026-01-19T15:07:29","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T14:07:29","slug":"occupyeur-occupies-erasmus-building-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2023\/05\/09\/occupyeur-occupies-erasmus-building-again\/","title":{"rendered":"OccupyEUR occupies Erasmus building again"},"content":{"rendered":"

Around forty protesters occupied the lobby of the Erasmus building on Tuesday morning around 11am. OccupyEUR has similar demands to the previous occupations in February and November: an end to cooperation with fossil industry, study debts, temporary contracts and inaccessibility.<\/p>\n

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One of the activists is drawing.<\/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\tEsther Dijkstra<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

On Instagram, OccupyEUR had previously announced its intention to occupy the Langeveld building. That turned out to be a diversion. The group gathered at the pond half an hour beforehand. As security guards stood in front of the Langeveld building and the Polak building, the group grew to around forty people, who tried to keep dry with umbrellas and raincoats. The security guards were instructed to let the protesters inside if they tried.<\/p>\n

Banners on the balcony<\/h2>

It did not come to that. At 11am, the group left, not towards the Langeveld building as expected, but towards the Erasmus building. There were no security guards at the entrance, but the corridors towards the offices of the Executive Board and the Theil building were already closed. As in February, when the protesters stayed overnight, banners were rolled out from the balcony and several zones were set up in the hall.<\/p>\n

In the \u2018party area\u2019, OccupyEUR is organising a drag workshop and a \u2018talent(less) show\u2019 and several lectures today. The \u2018study area\u2019 will see talks about decolonisation at the university and how the university cares for students and staff, a reading circle, a crochet workshop, and a hairdresser.<\/p>\n

More concrete demands<\/h2>

OccupyEUR has specified the general demands of the previous occupation. For instance, the movement demands that the university follows the example of the VU, which recently announced it will only conduct new research with fossil companies committed to the Paris Agreement, that fossil company advertisements on campus aren\u2019t allowed anymore and that the Trust Fund stops all investments in fossil, including indirect ones.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, the protesters demand that the university lobbies Education Minister Dijkgraaf to cancel all student debt. All academic and non-scientific staff doing structural work should be given permanent contracts and, finally, OccupyEUR wants the entire campus to be accessible, including for people with disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\t

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Lees meer<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t