Cameras and spotlights were placed on Broerplein in the city center of Groningen on Wednesday, as a result of the pro-Palestinian actions in recent months.
There are four masts in front of the Academy Building and the University Library, each with three cameras and a number of spotlights that can illuminate the entire Broerplein. The cameras are aimed at the Academy Building, the University Library and the open space in between.
The university is also taking ‘invisible measures’. The initiative is from the RUG and the municipality of Groningen has agreed to it.
Target
The RUG announced last month that it would increase security at Broerplein after the Academy Building, the Röling Building and especially the UB were targeted by pro-Palestinian activists.
In November, December and April, buildings were defaced with pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel slogans. Windows of the University Library and the Academy Building were also smashed.
Actions in Amsterdam
The fact that the masts are now being installed is separate from the situation in Amsterdam and Utrecht in particular, where students have been taking action for several days in response to the war in Gaza. “That’s a coincidence,” says a RUG spokesperson. “This had already been set in motion.”
Currently, pro-Palestinian demonstrators have occupied one of the main buildings of the University of Amsterdam. They demand that the university cut ties with Israel and speak out about the situation in Gaza. Things also remain restless in Utrecht.
