Pro-Palestinian protesters at UvA and Utrecht do not plan to leave

NOS News•today, 10:49 PM•Amended today, 11:25 PM

The pro-Palestinian demonstrators who have been protesting since this afternoon at the Binnengasthuis of the University of Amsterdam and the University Library in Utrecht have no intention of leaving. The demonstrators have set up barricades to keep the mobile unit away in the event of an evacuation. The police are present in both cities. In Utrecht the demonstrators are being asked to leave, but in Amsterdam there will be no action for the time being.

In Amsterdam, the action started today on Roeterseiland, where demonstrations were also held yesterday. The demonstrators then moved elsewhere in the center of Amsterdam and occupied the Binnengasthuis, one of the main locations of the university.

Here you can see how the demonstrators acted:

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators build barricades at the university in Amsterdam

The demonstration is an initiative of UvA teachers and students. Thousands of people participate. A number of demonstrators say they have joined in solidarity with yesterday’s demonstrators. According to them, the demonstration was peaceful, but was disrupted by people from outside.

The police are present today with a small number of riot vans. There is also a police drone in the air and sometimes a police helicopter flies. The triangle (mayor, chief public prosecutor and chief of police) decided at the end of the evening not to vacate the site, because the UvA itself did not ask the activists to leave.

It is the second day in a row that pro-Palestinian demonstrators occupy a site at the University of Amsterdam. Yesterday the occupation of Roeterseiland was ended by force. 140 demonstrators were arrested.

About 150 demonstrators have also occupied the courtyard of the University Library on the Drift in Utrecht since this afternoon. They also demand that Utrecht University speak out about the situation in Gaza and break all ties with Israeli universities.

The occupation started around 4:45 p.m. A spokesperson for the demonstrators has said they have no intention of leaving until their demands are met.