Dutch public largely opposes pro-Palestinian university protests, occupations

A recent survey by Ipsos I&O Research suggests the Dutch public is largely critical of the ongoing university campus protests against Israel's actions in Gaza. The survey, conducted between May 9 and 13, found only a fifth (21%) of respondents support the protests, while two-thirds (65%) agree or strongly agree with the statement, "It is good that the police intervened in the student protests against the war in Gaza."

The demonstrations, which expanded last week in several university cities, were not restricted to just gatherings outside. In many cases, they led to students, staff, and others occupying buildings and demanding their institutions disclose and sever ties with Israel. Multiple University of Amsterdam buildings were occupied on different occasions, leading to hundreds of thousands of euros in damages, and subsequent police intervention to remove the demonstrators.

The survey reveals a clear generational divide on the issue. Young people aged 18-24 are more likely to support the protests, with 40% expressing approval compared to 27% who oppose them. However, even among this younger demographic, there is significant support (40%) for police intervention. Across all other age groups, disapproval of the protests is higher than support for them.

Roughly 35 percent of the 2,102 adults surveyed said that they fully supported police intervention in the protests, while 30 percent found it acceptable, and 16 percent were more ambivalent. Only 5 percent were fully opposed, and 8 percent were somewhat opposed to police stepping in. The remaining 7 percent were unsure either way.

Meanwhile, 8 percent fully support the student protests in some form, and 13 percent support them somewhat, while 18 percent are opposed and 35 percent are really against those demonstrations. Another 19 percent were ambivalent, and 8 percent said they did not know how they felt.

The political spectrum also plays a role in attitudes towards the protests, although none of the political parties have a majority of support for the student protests. Voters on the right and center-right overwhelmingly condemn the protests and support police intervention. Conversely, voters on the left are more divided.

Supporters of the animal rights party PvdD are most likely to back the protests (47% in favor, 20% against), followed by GroenLinks-PvdA voters (42% for, 29% against). D66 and SP voters lean more towards disapproval (32% and 26% in favor, respectively, with 44% and 34% against). Notably, the data suggests potential strong support among DENK voters, but the sample size for this group is too small to draw definitive conclusions.

The survey also highlights a potential lack of nuance among the Dutch public regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict. Half of respondents were identified as lacking nuance in the debate, and within this group, support for the protests sits at 26%, while half are opposed. The research, which included 2,102 Dutch residents aged 18 or older, was weighted to ensure a representative sample across demographics like gender, age, region, education level, and voting behavior. The researchers disclosed that about 5 percent of respondents have an ethnic background that is not considered Western.