2025 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses in the Netherlands

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2025 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses in the Netherlands
Part of the 2025 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses and the Gaza war protests
Section (well-being corner) of the pro-Palestine student encampments at the Utrecht University library's courtyard.
DateMarch 2025 – present
Location
Universities throughout the Netherlands
Caused byIsraeli invasion of Gaza and Dutch university ties with Israeli organizations
Goals
  • End to Dutch university ties with Israeli academic and research institutions
  • Divestment from Israel and companies supplying the Israeli military
  • Greater transparency about institutional collaborations
Methods
  • Protests
  • Encampments
  • Walkouts
  • Occupations
  • Sit-ins
  • Teach-ins
StatusOngoing

The 2025 pro-Palestinian protests on university campuses in the Netherlands are a series of demonstrations, encampments, and building occupations by students and staff at Dutch universities, demanding an end to institutional ties with Israeli academic and research organizations in response to the ongoing war in Gaza and Israeli military actions on the genocide of Palestinians.[1][2][3][4]

Background

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Protests against the genocide in Gaza and Dutch university ties with Israeli institutions began as early as October 2023, but escalated in the spring of 2025 following the Israeli offensive in Rafah, the increased awareness of war crimes committed by the Israeli army, and the spread of campus protests in the United States and Europe. Demonstrators called for an academic boycott of Israel, divestment from companies supplying the Israeli military, and full transparency about institutional collaborations.[5][6]

Universities involved

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Amsterdam University

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On 14 April 2025, dozens of masked pro-Palestinian activists occupied the Maagdenhuis, the main administration building of the University of Amsterdam. Staff were ordered to leave, entrances were barricaded, and banners and Palestinian flags were displayed from the windows.[1][2][4] The occupiers demanded the immediate severance of all ties with Israeli institutions. The university refused to negotiate with masked occupiers and filed a police report.[1][4]

Radboud University Nijmegen

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In May 2025, at Radboud University, activists briefly occupied the Berchmanianum building. A university representative refused to negotiate with the protestors.[3] Police operations at the campus led to three arrests, with some incidents involving the use of batons and police dogs, leading to a protestor sustaining injuries from a bite of a police dog.[3]

Utrecht University

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Main article: 2025 Utrecht University pro-Palestinian campus occupations

In March 2025, pro-Palestinian activists chained themselves to the entrance of the administration building at Utrecht University in the Utrecht Science Park, temporarily blocking access.

On 7 May 2025, a year after the previous attempt at a student encampment in the same location, protestors set up tents and banners in the courtyard of the university's academic library.[7][8] The encampment was established as a permanent protest site and features daily teach-ins, workshops, public lectures, documentary screenings, and community discussions. The encampment was named in honor of Palestinian journalist Hossam Shabat that was killed on 24 March 2025 by an Israeli airstrike.[9]

On 19 May 2025, the protesters also occupied the university building Drift 13 and were met with police intervention. Police entered the premises and forcibly removed the students. Outside of the building, several protesters were also hit with police violence, with some sustaining injuries.[10][11] The riot police arrested 49 individuals for trespassing and transported them by bus to another location in Utrecht, with most being released later that night.[12][13][14] The police action was criticized by several staff groups within the university and by the mayor of Utrecht.[15][16][17][18]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Maagdenhuis occupied by Pro-Palestinian protesters". University of Amsterdam. 2025-04-14. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
  2. ^ a b "Maagdenhuis in Amsterdam occupied by pro-Palestinian group". Dutch News. 2025-04-14. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
  3. ^ a b c "Large-scale police operation after Palestinian protesters enter university administration building". Voxweb. 2025-05-08. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
  4. ^ a b c "The Netherlands: Pro-Palestinian Demonstrators Occupy Universities Buildings". Israel Academia Monitor. 2025-04-30. Retrieved 2025-05-15.
  5. ^ "Pro-Palestinian student protests spread across Europe. Some are allowed. Some are stopped". AP News. 2024-05-07. Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  6. ^ "Gaza protests: Divestment from Israel becomes focus of student demands". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  7. ^ "Students occupy library courtyard once again". DUB – Utrecht University. 8 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  8. ^ "Pro-Palestijnse demonstranten overnachten op binnenplein van Universiteit Utrecht: 'Ze weigeren te vertrekken'" (in Dutch). AD. 7 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  9. ^ "Anton Pijpers: "We are going to reconsider our cooperation with Israel"". DUB – Utrecht University. 10 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  10. ^ "Pro-Palestijnse demonstranten bezetten pand Universiteit Utrecht". WNL (in Dutch). 2025-05-19. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  11. ^ "Drift 13 na bezetting door pro-Palestijnse actievoerders ontruimd(Update) | DUB". dub.uu.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  12. ^ "Politie grijpt in bij bezetting pand Universiteit Utrecht, 49 aanhoudingen". Hart van Nederland (in Dutch). 2025-05-19. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  13. ^ "Pro-Palestina demonstranten aangehouden in pand Universiteit Utrecht". www.politie.nl (in Dutch). 2025-05-20. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  14. ^ "Ontruiming bij Universiteit Utrecht na pro Palestina-bezetting: gebouw blijft dinsdag dicht wegens herstelwerkzaamheden" [Evacuation at Utrecht University after pro-Palestine occupation: building remains closed on Tuesday for repairs]. AD (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  15. ^ "Statement regarding the police violence of 19 May - Opinion - Utrecht University". www.uu.nl. 2025-05-20. Retrieved 2025-05-22.
  16. ^ "The use of police violence on students endangers democracy in our city - Opinion - Utrecht University". www.uu.nl. 2025-05-22. Retrieved 2025-05-22.
  17. ^ "Geweld tegen betogers was volgens Dijksma niet de afspraak, demonstranten willen aangifte doen" [According to Dijksma, violence against protesters was not the agreement, protesters want to file a complaint]. nos.nl (in Dutch). 2025-05-20. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  18. ^ "Utrecht police angered by mayor saying she didn't permit violence at pro-Gaza protest | NL Times". nltimes.nl. 2025-05-21. Retrieved 2025-05-22.
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  • academiccomplicity.nl/, website from protestors outlining the links of Dutch universities with Israel companies and institutes