Police quickly clear new Univ. Amsterdam protesters

By Janene Pieters on April 30, 2015 - 14:43
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Protesters occupy UvA's Information and Service Center (Picture: Twitter/@zeeger). (Protesters occupy UvA's Information and Service Center (Picture: Twitter/@zeeger))

The police entered the University of Amsterdam's Service and Information Center, the building occupied by protesters earlier today, but found no trace of the protesters.

According to the UvA, five protesters dressed in black and wearing balaclavas barricaded the building on Thursday morning so that employees could not enter, NOS reports.

In a statement, the protesters announced that they have occupied the building in the run up to Labor Day on May 1st. From this year Labor Day is no longer a holiday at the university. According to the protesters, the abolition of this “international day of worker solidarity is yet another sign of the university’s blatant marketisation under the managers’ neoliberalism”.

Earlier protests for more transparency and democracy at the UvA led to the resignation of Louise Gunning of the university's Executive Board two weeks ago. This protest does not seem to be linked to the earlier occupation of the Maagdenhuis and Bungehuis.

The UvA is surprised by the action. "We had just begun discussions after the recent occupations." a spokesperson said to NOS. "Discussions are underway and the atmosphere is good. All parties are willing to work for a more democratic university."

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