Anton Pijpers: ‘We are going to reconsider our cooperation with Israel’

UU President Anton Pijpers patiently stood in front of the activists last evening, answering questions about the right to demonstrate and why students were removed from the courtyard by the riot police when they protested on the same spot last year. The protesters also asked him if he condemned the targeted killing of Palestinian academics, as the UU President.

Pijpers explained that he supports the right to demonstrate but is against occupations. He considers the deployment of riot police to have been ‘a loss,’ but in his view, the most important thing to be considered is the safety of all students and staff.

‘That's what I must consider when making decisions,' he said. The UU president also condemns the war and the deaths it has caused, but he prefers not to use the same terminology used by the Palestinian academics killed.

The biggest surprise came when Pijpers told the demonstrators that UU is reconsidering its institutional cooperation with Israeli universities. He announced that the university will soon make an announcement on its website. According to Iris Kruijen, spokesperson for Utrecht University, this was not a spontaneous statement. The Executive Board had already discussed the matter last Tuesday.

The occupation has been generally peaceful. The activists have set up a ‘liberated zone’ in memory of Hossam Shabat, a Palestinian journalist who was killed during an Israeli air strike. Workshops and debates were held about a ‘genocide-free university', in addition to a lecture by Medics4Gaza. Lunch and dinner were provided.

The spokesperson for UU also reported that the afternoon and evening had been peaceful. Everyone was able to enter and leave the premises without any problems.

At around 10:00 pm, further discussions were held with the activists about how to proceed. The university agreed with the activists that they would be allowed to stay overnight under strict conditions. For example, they were not allowed to build barricades or block any doors. 

UPDATE Thursday, 10:00 am
The night was quiet in the courtyard. About forty people stayed overnight. This morning, a large black tent and a small tent could be seen there. The activists intend to keep the protest going today, with activities scheduled to start at 10:30 am.