Video: Amsterdam riot police strike Gaza protestors as university occupation broken up

Police in Amsterdam began breaking up the occupation of University of Amsterdam buildings in the city center on Wednesday. The Binnengasthuis and other university buildings were squatted a day earlier by hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators who had marched there from the university’s Roeterseiland campus on Tuesday afternoon.

The police department said they started to dismantle the barricades the protestors set up after the University of Amsterdam (UvA) “filed a report of trespassing, vandalism and coercion.” Up to that point, the protest had been allowed to continue, as the university tried in vain to negotiate a peaceful end to the demonstration. As police approached, items were thrown at them, including buckets and rocks, and they were sprayed with fire extinguishers.

After police officers were met with resistance on Wednesday afternoon, riot police and rapid response teams were sent in just after 5 p.m. They began dragging people out from the crowd that was attempting to block access to the building, and police struck many of them with batons and slammed them down onto the sandy sidewalk where bricks had already been stripped away to be used in barricades.

One person climbed on top of the digger truck and was yanked down forcefully. Another person threw rocks at a different digger truck, and then jumped in a canal to avoid being arrested. Some protestors were sitting peacefully but still blocking doorways, many of whom stepped out of the way by 6:15 p.m.

Though it had been widely reported that the protestors were all connected to the university either as students, faculty or staff, the police said that was not the case. The authorities have learned “that the participants in the protest consist not only of demonstrating students, but also of people who are not affiliated with the university and consciously want to confront the police,” the police department said.

Indeed, the protest organizers used social media to ask any supporters to visit the scene and help prevent the police from breaking it up. The mayor, local police chief and local lead prosecutor were increasingly concerned about how the situation was developing. “Protesting is a fundamental right, but demonstrators who destroy other people’s property and block public spaces cross a line and are guilty of criminal behavior,” the authorities added.

The barricades constructed around the demonstrations were made up of bricks, furniture, fencing, bicycles, and other loose material. Protestors shouted, "We are people, what are you?" and "Shame on you!" as police began to clear the area. "You are not alone, you are not alone!" sang supporters on the other side of the canal.

Earlier, the demonstrators called on the University of Amsterdam (UvA), Vrije Universiteit (VU) and the Amsterdam University College (AUC) to effectively cut all ties with Israeli government offices, universities and institutions. They also called on the three universities to be forthcoming in divulging their ties to those organizations.

They set up a tent encampment on the Roeterseiland on Monday, mimicking similar protests in the United States. The encampment was dismantled by police at about 3 a.m. on Tuesday.