Several thousand pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Amsterdam, riot police intervene

NOS News•today, 8:06 PM

A few thousand demonstrators have gathered in Amsterdam at the Roeterseiland campus of the University of Amsterdam (UvA). The large group of demonstrators is now moving through the city in a parade.

The police are present in large numbers, accompanied by the Mobile Unit (ME). According to the police, the riot police are “present to prevent escalation”.

AT5 reports that the riot police intervened on the Spui after a riot police bus was blocked:

The Maagdenhuis on the Spui is protected by the police. There were calls for a sit-in in front of the building. Protesters responded en masse:

The police report that the situation on the Spui is “troubled”. “Police deployment is necessary to restore order.” According to a NOS reporter, the square was swept clean. The demonstrators had to move away from the police cars.

The pro-Palestinian action group Amsterdam Student Encampment announced another demonstration for today. People were called to protest against “the university’s decision to treat their own students cruelly,” local broadcaster AT5 reported.

The activists believe the police actions during the pro-Palestinian protests in recent days are excessive.

The Amsterdam police speak of “a large group” that is out this evening:

There will also be another demonstration in Utrecht tonight by about a hundred people. “After the violence our communities have experienced at the hands of the police – who were called in by Utrecht University and the mayor of Utrecht – it is imperative to remember where our strength comes from,” read a post on social media.

The action group, Utrecht Student Encampment, is referring to previous protests that were broken up by the police.

Demonstrators walked from the Janskerkhof to the Domplein, where the protest continues:

At the beginning of this week, demonstrators in Amsterdam had set up tents on the UvA campus. They demanded, among other things, that Amsterdam universities sever their ties with Israel. Two bridges and the entrance to the campus at the Nieuwe Prinsengracht were blocked with pallets and other items.

The police previously reported that there was unrest on Roeterseiland during the evacuation. Police say demonstrators used violence.

A day after the protests in Amsterdam, some local residents look with amazement at the chaos left behind. Others are more understanding:

Local residents about Amsterdam student protest: ‘They have a point’

Yesterday, the Binnengasthuis site was cleared by the police after the UvA filed a report, partly because vandalism had been caused to the buildings. In addition, the safety of local residents would be at stake.

The building had been occupied by demonstrators since Tuesday. Police used shovels to dismantle the barricades made with office furniture, ladders and stones, among other things.

Demonstrations have also taken place in Utrecht in recent days. A university building on the Drift was occupied there. According to the police, no damage was caused to the university building in Utrecht. The buildings there will remain closed until 8 a.m. on Monday morning.