University begins repairs after vandalism

Vandalisers smashed around forty windows of three Utrecht University buildings last weekend, namely the Utrecht University Hall, Trans 10, and the Administration Building. The facades of these buildings were also smeared with red paint. 

But that's not all. According to the university, the protesters have also glued the locks of several other buildings in the city centre. 

UU was alerted to the vandalism acts when the burglar alarm went off in one of the buildings. Security guards noticed the damage in another building. On Monday, when opening its buildings in the city centre, the university found that several locks had been glued shut, rendering them inoperable. 

The university building at Drift 25, which was occupied by pro-Palestine activists from 2 December to 13 December, was also damaged. The press was allowed to take a look inside the building last Monday. The occupiers broke a vending machine, stuck photos on the walls, sprayed paint on the facades, and destroyed locks. Additionally, two computers and two projectors, each worth 4,000 euros, disappeared from the building.

Damaged windows in the Administration Building. Photo: DUB

Damage caused
UU still assumes that pro-Palestine activists were responsible for smashing the windows of the buildings and smearing red paint on their facades. The assumption is based on an Instagram post and an insignia left by the perpetrators on one of the windows. The protest group Palestine Action NL states on Instagram that “autonomous activists” have committed these acts to oppose UU's collaboration with Israeli universities. “UU's complicity in the deaths of around 700,000 Palestinians is a disgrace,” they write on the social network.

The university has reported the incident to the police, who are calling on witnesses to come forward. On Tuesday afternoon, the police said that the investigation was still ongoing and there were no updates to report. However, they estimate the damage at tens of thousands of euros.

The university does not yet dare to say how much the necessary repairs will cost. A glazier temporarily repaired the broken windows on Saturday to seal the holes and prevent further shattering. As for the facades, they were hosed down on Monday. The locks filled with glue were either cleaned or drilled out. According to the university, some locks will need to be replaced. UU hopes to repair all the damage as soon as possible.

Insignia left on one of the windows. Photo: courtesy of UU

Drift 25
On Monday, after the occupiers left Drift 25, the university began cleaning and repairing the building. UU hopes to put the property, which is used for classes, back into use soon, but is not yet able to say when this will happen.

According to the university's website, 529 educational activities had to be rescheduled during the 12 days the building was occupied. Most of them were lectures. UU was largely successful in these rescheduling efforts, as only ten activities had to be cancelled.

Emotional damage
In the same post, the Executive Board states that it has spoken to several students and staff members, including members of the Jewish community. According to the board, these students and employees told them that they felt very unsafe due to the occupation of Drift 25 and the damage to the three university buildings. The board finds their concerns about anti-Semitism justified. "Although we understand the concerns and outrage about the situation in Gaza, we would like to emphasise that we unequivocally condemn any form of anti-Semitism and intimidation."