Pro-Palestine ‘protest camp’ at University of Amsterdam ends in violence and 125 arrests

Yesterday afternoon, protesters in Amsterdam set up a ‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment’ on the Roeterseiland campus of the University of Amsterdam (UvA). The protest ended in violence and arrests.

When the demonstration began at noon, about 20 tents and some 300 people were present. Then, it gradually grew bigger.

The reason for the protest? The university should cut ties with businesses and academic institutions in Israel, as Het Parool writes.

Students and teachers among the protesters

The protest camp was inspired by similar initiatives that have been taking place around the United States over the past weeks. There, around 2000 students have been arrested so far.

In Amsterdam, besides hundreds of students, dozens of teachers were also present at the demonstration, supporting the cause and the students behind it.

Violence and arrests

As the protest grew bigger, it was eventually disrupted in the evening.

As NU.nl reports, a group of about ten men is said to have confronted the protesters, beating them with torches and throwing fireworks at them.

It is unclear what motivated the group to instigate violence against the protesters.

In the evening, protesters blocked off the protesting site using pallets and fences from a construction area. They also removed bricks from the ground in multiple locations.

Outside the barricaded protest area, people holding Israeli flags are also said to have sought confrontation with the protesters.

Police had to step in

As violence escalated and turned towards the police, the Dutch Public Prosecution Service, police and municipality agreed to evacuate the protest camp late at night.

“Bricks and fireworks were thrown at us. One colleague suffered hearing damage,” a policeman tells NOS Radio 1 Journal.

With megaphones, protesters were asked to leave and briefed about the possible legal consequences if they didn’t.

With dozens of vans and police dogs, protesters were removed from the site. Those who refused — about 125 of them — were eventually arrested. The first of them were released this morning.

By 4.30 AM, the demonstration was largely over, and people were led to buses to get home.

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