Amsterdam City Council to hold urgent debate over university Gaza demonstrations

The Amsterdam city council is returning from recess for an emergency debate about the Gaza-support protests that have been happening at the University of Amsterdam. The debate will happen on Friday afternoon. Education Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf urged university administrators to set “clear lines” for demonstrations that are not intimidating and don’t disrupt education. He said that Jewish students told him they often feel unsafe at universities since tensions have risen due to the war in Gaza.

According to Dijkgraaf, it is good that students are critical and they are allowed to demonstrate. But they must not intimidate people or disrupt education. "The great strength of the university is that you discuss with each other. That you have the debate, that you bombard each other with arguments," said Dijkgraaf, according to ANP. He urged protesters to find the “subtle balance” that makes that possible.

Protesters have occupied areas of the UvA campus for two nights in a row. Among other things, they demand that all universities in Amsterdam break ties with Israeli institutions due to the situation in the Gaza Strip.

On Monday night, protesters erected a tent camp and barricades on Roeterseiland. The riot police broke up that protest during the early hours of Tuesday morning, arresting some 140 protesters. Two were still in custody on Wednesday. The two men from Amsterdam, aged 22 and 33, are accused of public violence and will be arraigned on Friday, the police said.

On Tuesday, demonstrators occupied the Binnengasthuis, one of the University of Amsterdam’s main locations. The city authorities did not intervene. According to the police, the UvA did not file trespassing charges, unlike on Monday. And there were no disruptions to public order overnight.

VVD city councilor Daan Wijnants called it “absurd” that the city decided to follow the university’s lead on this. “There are barricades in the middle of the city center. Paving stones have been removed. This situation cannot continue. De-escalation is not the answer. Action is,” he wrote on X. “Debate on Friday.”

According to AT5, it rarely happens that the city council returns from recess for a debate, especially over a long weekend. Thursday is a public holiday in the Netherlands. Friday is a normal working day, but many take the day off to make it a long weekend.

Protesters are still camped at the Binnengasthuis. At around 8:00 a.m., they posted a call on social media, asking more people to join their demonstration to prevent the authorities from evicting them.

The protesters are camped in the middle of the city center area that the Amsterdam municipality has been working to make more liveable for local residents. Measures range from plans to move sex workers out of the Red Light District to limiting how many people can stand in line at a popular french fry shop. Footage online shows that protesters have dug up a courtyard, smashed furniture for their barricade, and tagged many surfaces with spray paint.