It is a privilege to have buildings that can be vandalised

This is my last article as campus columnist for DUB. And while I tried to write some sort of reflection about my experience this past year, all my attempts at drafts were, well, pathetic. One even had a full paragraph dedicated to the dodo scene from the first Ice Age movie (don’t ask). So I abandoned that and went strolling around town with my mum, who has come over to Utrecht for my graduation ceremony. 

As we wander through the city, I show her the Utrecht University Hall (Academiegebouw) where the ceremony will be held. Of course, it looks a bit different from the UU website, because it was vandalised the previous night by the Dutch branch of Palestine Action. The walls are streaked with red paint, and workers are already cleaning up the broken glass. I can imagine the tour guide who’s standing close by is having to improvise a bit today as he explains the history of the building to a group of surprised tourists. 

Over the weekend, I talked to a few people (who all identify as supporters of Palestine) about the vandalism, and there were some sharply contrasting views. One person felt quite strongly that this kind of activism hurts the movement's overall image. He believed that damaging university buildings gave fuel to the Executive Board’s view that pro-Palestinian activists are unreasonable and incapable of dialogue (it is important to note, however, that the UU student Encampment says it was not responsible for the vandalism). Another person said that they supported the vandalisers, because what was the cost of cleaning walls and installing new windows compared to the moral cost of collaborating with a country that is committing a genocide? 

I understand these two views, but ultimately I feel more sympathy for the vandalisers than for the university. What I see when I look at the damage to the buildings is not necessarily a logical plan, or long-term strategy to achieve a goal, but rather a manifestation of deep, deep anger. And this anger didn’t appear in a vacuum – it has been simmering for more than two years, while peaceful protests and other forms of activism have been trundling on with questionable levels of success. When people’s demands are met with apathy and indifference, whether that be for any cause, it is no surprise that more violent behaviours emerge. 

So, I use my last paragraph as a campus columnist to urge the Executive Board to reconsider its stance before trying to tar the UU activists with this red brush. There are other universities who have successfully divested and boycotted, which means that there is now a blueprint that you can use. Talk to Trinity College, talk to Barcelona University. And perhaps most importantly, talk to the students and academics of Palestine who have no university anymore to call theirs. In an alternate reality, it could have been Utrecht University that was bombed to the ground. Use that privilege to boycott and divest now – the privilege of being a university that even has buildings that can be vandalised.