Students protest VU restructuring

Angry students from the Earth- and Life Sciences faculty at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam staged a noise protest at their faculty on Wednesday morning. 

The protest comes from the student group Actiegroep Titanic, who are opposing austerity plans from the directors of the university. They are concerned about a loss of quality.

https://twitter.com/A_Mandili/status/443707054126301184

40 positions are proposed to be cut at the Earth- and Life Sciences faculty, and the Geo- and Bioarchaeology faculty will be entirely shut down, while no study programmes would be cut.

Dean Karen Maex said that these are "necessary steps."

Around 100 students blockaded the entrance to the faculty and made as much noise as they could muster with the help of pans and lids. Other students occupied a lecture theater.

Voor de nodige achtergrond en context: VU-kerkzaal bezet door studenten kleine bèta's: http://t.co/i8TPyoAB9d pic.twitter.com/BUAfjCTKEL

— advalvas (@advalvas_vu) March 12, 2014

The students earlier organized a sit-in where teachers were present as well, in protest of the cuts that would save €2.8 million, at the cost of quality of education.