By Pro-Palestinian protesters have maintained their occupation of a University of Amsterdam (UvA) site on Wednesday, following a tumultuous day of clashes with police in the Dutch capital.
The previous day saw riot police using a bulldozer to dismantle barricades at a different UvA campus, resulting in the detention of 169 individuals.
In contrast to the early hours of Tuesday, when police intervention was requested by the university, UvA has not asked law enforcement to put an end to the current protest.
The university released a statement just after midnight, expressing its desire to find a resolution with the protesting students, while are also acknowledging the “considerable damage” caused to its buildings since the demonstrations began on Monday.
As a result of the ongoing blockades, UvA has announced that several locations will remain closed on Wednesday. The students’ protests revolve around the university’s academic ties with Israel and the condemnation of UvA’s response to the demonstrations.
The university has accused some protesters of engaging in intimidating behavior, and video footage has captured violent clashes between pro- and anti-Palestinian protesters on campus.
The unrest has not been limited to the University of Amsterdam. Approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of the capital, local police intervened to end a pro-Palestinian demonstration at the University of Utrecht’s library, as stated in a police statement.
The continuation of the protests and the university’s decision not to involve the police on Wednesday marks a shift in the dynamic between the protesters and the institution.
The situation remains tense as both sides seek to find a resolution to the ongoing conflict, with the university grappling with the damage to its facilities and the students standing firm in their demands for a change in UvA’s stance on Israel.
As the protests persist, the academic community and the wider public are closely monitoring the developments, with the hope that a peaceful resolution can be reached without further escalation of violence.
