From the Liveblog of
Monday, May 13, 2024
Anti-Israel protesters occupy university buildings in Dutch cities
Anti-Israel protesters have occupied university buildings in the Dutch cities of Amsterdam, Groningen and Eindhoven, condemning the ongoing war in Gaza, the Dutch protest group behind the action says in a statement.
A spokesperson for the University of Amsterdam (UvA) confirms the occupation and says it advised people who are not affiliated with the protest to leave the building.
Videos posted on social media show students wearing keffiyeh scarves and holding anti-Israel signs, with some masked students barricading doors with furniture.
De boel wordt gebarricadeerd. #uvaprotest #uvabezet pic.twitter.com/ACSw5rnh4J
— Robert Vinkenborg (@RVinkenborg) May 13, 2024
The Eindhoven University of Technology confirms that there are “dozens of students peacefully protesting outside next to ten to 15 tents.”
The University of Groningen does not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Students in the Netherlands have been protesting since last week against Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, sparked by Hamas’s brutal October 7 massacre.
Dutch riot police have previously clashed with protesters at the University of Amsterdam.
The European protests join a wave of unrest on American university campuses, where students set up anti-Israel protest encampments and called for their schools to cut ties with Israel and businesses that support it.
