Students in tents on the lawn at UvA on Roeterseiland: “Gaza Solidarity Camp”

A group of around 200 students has set up a number of tents on a lawn near Roeterseiland, one of the locations of the University of Amsterdam. The students did this to call on the UvA and the VU to stop economic and academic collaborations with Israel. They call the campsite the Gaza Solidarity Camp.

There are at least fifteen tents on the lawn at the moment. The field is divided into different sections where people are setting up their tents. In addition to the tents on the lawn, the students also barricaded the bridges with pallets. The police are currently present at the action.

The students have written texts such as ‘Gaza Solidarity Camp’ and ‘cease fire now, end the occupation’ on several banners. The UvA informed AT5 in a response that they will only report the incident if the students are going to stay overnight. “That’s against our house rules.” All lectures will continue at the university for the time being.

The action follows after a similar action was taken at several American universities last week. The students in America are demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and are fiercely critical of President Biden’s government. The US is Israel’s largest ally and arms supplier. Students at the UvA also criticize the Dutch state for its role in the conflict.