An autonomous group from Utrecht claims responsibility for the act
Pro-Palestine activists deface Administration Building
Photo: DUB
Update: The Instagram accounts Palestine Action Amsterdam, Encampment.UU and Student.encampment.nl have posted a video showing activists defacing the Administration Building with red paint. Two or three people are depicted, but they are unrecognisable because they are wearing hoods and face masks. However, the action was claimed by autonomous protesters who do not belong to the groups mentioned above and do not have their own social media handles.
The post states that they targeted the Administration Building as a direct message to the UU Executive Board as its members are not taking action to cut ties with Israeli institutions. This action is a warning to all Dutch universities, the post says. "We will continue to escalate for Gaza."
The university believes that the activists have gone too far. UU states that there is room at the university for different perspectives and feelings about the situation in Gaza and Israel, but “defacing a building to make your point, as happened last night, exceeds the norm.”
It is not yet known how much cleaning will cost. According to the people who cleaned the facade all morning, the activists used a stubborn type of paint that still leaves traces when removed.
