Police take down pro-Palestine activist from chimney at Radboudumc after lengthy protest

Police took down a man who had climbed up a chimney on the grounds of the hospital Radboudumc in Nijmegen on Wednesday afternoon. The man is a pro-Palestine activist and was up there to demand that Radboud University end all its ties with Israeli institutions. The man sat on the side of the chimney using a bag or cloth as a hammock.

Police used a type of cherry picker from the fire brigade to get the man down after he had been dozens of meters up in the air for several hours. The man was taken away in a police van. His age or nationality is currently unknown.

The pro-Palestinian movement Nijmegen Encampment has said in a press release on Wednesday morning that the activist was doing this “for a free Palestine, for justice, and for the dismantling of colonial structures within the university.”

"I think this is necessary because we have been protesting for a long time against the ties that Radboud has with Israeli institutions and cities that contribute to the genocide that is happening there. I think this is a way to show 'we have been calling for this to stop for so long', this is not okay'. So let's use a new method," a member of the Nijmegen Encampment movement who came to watch the incident unfold said to Omroep Gelderland.

The Nijmegen Encampment member criticized Radboud’s lack of urgency when it comes to their demands. “What they have done is set up a commission of inquiry. It is a delaying tactic. They haven't done anything yet. They are just delaying it. Making no choice means you are keeping the ties and that you continue to be complicit.”

The hospital Radboudumc is connected to Radboud University in Nijmegen. A special commission advised the university to end their partnership with two universities in Israel a few weeks ago. The institutions are accused of contributing to "severe and systematic human rights abuses" in the Palestinian areas.

Furthermore, they are also accused of violating scientific integrity. The university board wants to make a decision after consultation with students, employees, deans, the student council, the works council and representatives of Radboudumc. Opponents of the collaboration no longer wish to have talks.