Students of the Universiteit van Amsterdam (UvA) will not have any classes for the next two days due to the ongoing Pro-Palestine protests.
According to the university’s website, its buildings will remain closed on both Tuesday and Wednesday as the university “cannot now take responsibility for the safety of everyone on campus.”
A change in atmosphere
The university made this decision following yesterday’s demonstrations on campus, during which a “walk-out” by staff and students took place.
According to the university, this part of the demonstration took place in an “orderly manner due to the intention of the participants and the organisers.”
However, once the “walk-out” was complete, the university claims “the atmosphere immediately changed” as people began to arrive dressed in black and wearing face coverings.
Het zou mij niks verbazen als er agitators tussen zitten die de demonstratie bewust in een kwaad daglicht willen zetten. #uvaprotests #roeterseiland pic.twitter.com/XUpUy8vbi6
— Laurens (@LaurensEurope) May 13, 2024
Translation: It wouldn’t surprise me if there are agitators who deliberately want to put the demonstration in a bad light.
These protesters then began to occupy university buildings on Roeterseiland. As part of the occupation, entrances and exits, including emergency exits, were barricaded.
And this is where the problem lies for the university.
Cannot take responsibility for student and staff’s safety
The university has announced that with this change in atmosphere, it cannot guarantee the safety of staff and students.
“For this reason, there will be no teaching at the UvA on Tuesday and Wednesday,” it announces.
READ MORE | Amsterdam’s pro-Palestine protests: in videos
The university also cites the destruction caused by the occupation of university buildings as part of the reasoning behind the decision.
The university does not expect its staff to move their teaching online, given the lack of notice. Instead, it simply points its students to the Canvas portal to get updates on their lectures.
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