Meeting with NATO military chief at Amsterdam University halted due to protests
There were protests at the University of Amsterdam on Tuesday during a discussion with the highest military officer of NATO, Dutch lieutenant-Admiral Rob Bauer. “The demonstrators were asked to stop, but they would not listen. The meeting was then ended prematurely,” the university said.
The discussion was organized by a group of students and named Room for Discussion. A group spokesperson said: “Around five minutes after the start of the conversation, dozens of people started to chant slogans against NATO.” The protestors also had a banner with them.
The chants included “You’ve got blood on your hands!” and “Free, free, Palestine! Fuck, fuck, NATO!”
Bauer responded to the protest on X. “Today, a group of anti-NATO protesters disrupted a speaking event in Amsterdam. Incidentally, the right to protest is exactly the freedom NATO fights to protect.”
Pamphlets were handed out with information about Bauer’s military history and the role of NATO in Ukraine and Palestine. It is said that the protestors were students at the university.
The interview was later concluded in an empty room. The footage of that will be uploaded to YouTube.
Reporting by ANP and NL Times
