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NOS believes that everyone in the Netherlands should be able to follow the news. Offering translated news contributes to the accessibility that we strive for. Other examples of this are the dyslexia font and text-to-speech in the NOS app. However, it is not yet clear whether this translation experiment will be continued. The automatic translations on this website will be unavailable for an indefinite period.
If there are any new developments regarding translated news at NOS, you can find them on About NOS. Announcements of other new products and functionalities can also be found on About NOS (in Dutch). Do you have any questions and/or comments about this experiment or other projects by NOS Lab? Contact us via noslab@nos.nl.
Domestic news • Monday 13 May 2024, 11:22
ME intervenes at protest on Rooster Island campus of UvA, actions elsewhere too
This article was translated using an automatic translation service. The original article was written in Dutch by our editors. The editors are not responsible for any errors in the article due to the automatic translation.
In Amsterdam, the Mobile Unit (ME) intervened in the protest at the UvA building on Roeterseiland. Following the nationwide walk-out action at several universities this morning, a group of protesters dressed in black led the crowd inside.
There were calls on social media for an occupation of the campus. Inside the building, windows were daubed with red paint and protesters set up tents in the auditorium. The UvA called on protesters to leave voluntarily. After this was not heeded, a report was filed. Half an hour later, the ME arrived.
Action is also under way at other universities in the Netherlands. Those actions went largely peacefully. A few demonstrators set up tents or continued to demonstrate outside. They demanded that universities cut their ties with Israeli institutions because of the war in the Gaza Strip.
These are images of activists entering the UvA building:
Whether there are still protesters inside the ABC building is not known. The protesters who were demonstrating outside the campus were pushed back by the ME. After this, they moved towards the nearby Oosterpark to continue demonstrating there.
Walk-out
The action came after a walk-out by UvA staff and students. At 11am, dozens to sometimes hundreds of staff and students at various universities in the Netherlands walked out in protest against the war in Gaza and the breaking up of student protests last week. The official programme after the walk-out with several speakers was over after two hours. Protesters continued the action afterward.
These are images from the protest in Amsterdam:
Besides Amsterdam, protests have also taken place in Maastricht, Eindhoven, Leiden, Utrecht and Groningen, among others. On the Koeveld near Eindhoven University of Technology, dozens of students set up tents. In Maastricht, some 200 students showed up, according to broadcaster L1.
!
Some 150 to 200 activists were on the square outside the Harmonie building in Groningen and beyond, according to regional broadcaster RTV Noord. Near the building, the RUG flag was replaced by a Palestinian flag. Just before the protest began, the gates at the university were closed.
Among other things, the protesters want the RUG to distance itself from companies that allegedly support Israel, such as Siemens and Thales. The latter allegedly financially support several student associations. Tents were also set up in Maastricht and Eindhoven.
Matthias van Binsbergen
In Amsterdam last week, protesters threw up a tent camp with barricades, occupied buildings and caused destruction. Police used shovels to push the barricades aside. Dozens of people were arrested. The UvA estimates the damage after the protests at one and a half million euros.
Protesters also occupied university buildings in Utrecht. The protesters were taken away by buses during the night from Wednesday to Thursday.
On Wednesday, the Binnengasthuisterrein in Amsterdam was cleared by police after the UvA reported the incident. In a council debate Friday, Mayor Halsema said some of the protesters had sought a violent confrontation with the police.
Close
The organisation of the protest today, Dutch Scholars for Palestine, says in a statement to be shocked by the actions of the colleges of the University of Amsterdam and Utrecht University in last week's demonstrations and again speaks of "extreme police violence".
Due to the protests, the university kept all downtown buildings closed over the Ascension weekend. In Amsterdam too, all university buildings were closed until this morning.
Disclaimer
This page contains automated translations of Dutch news published by NOS. NOS is a Dutch broadcasting organisation that creates news, event, and sports programmes for television, radio, and online. NOS has the task of doing this for all inhabitants of the Netherlands, including those who cannot read or speak Dutch (well). The NOS editors work completely independently and autonomously from other agencies and the government.
The original texts on which these translations are based were written in Dutch by the editors at NOS. Our editors are not responsible for any errors in the automated translations.
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The original texts on which these translations are based were written in Dutch by the editors at NOS. Our editors are not responsible for any errors in the automated translations.
Do you want to help us improve this platform and future experiments by sharing your opinions on this platform and its translations? Click here for a short survey about your experience as a user.