Pro-Palestinian protests resume at Dutch universities

​​​​​​​By Selman Aksunger

AMSTERDAM (AA) - Pro-Palestinian students resumed protests Friday at Dutch universities.

Hundreds of students and academics gathered at the University of Amsterdam's Roeterseiland (UvA) campus to protest the school administration for not severing ties with Israeli institutions.

The university administration closed the main entrance in response as a precaution and a large number of police were positioned around the campus.

The students, who were beating drums and chanting slogans in support of Palestine, asked police to leave campus.

The protestors, also waving Palestinian flags, carried banners that said, “UvA: Stop the lies, cut all ties, Freedom for Palestine now, Boycott Israel.” They chanted slogans:
Free Palestine from the river to the sea, Israel has been a racist state since 1948 and Zionism must fall.”

A small group also held a demonstration at the Free University of Amsterdam (VU) last week during the opening ceremony of the new academic year.

- Universities take extensive measures

The UvA and VU took extra security measures at the opening events of the new academic year earlier this week to prevent pro-Palestinian protests.

Entrance checks at the universities were carried out using QR codes, and participants were asked to leave coats and bags outside or hand them to security before events began.

- Erasmus University Rotterdam freezes cooperation with Israeli institutions

Erasmus University Rotterdam said new cooperation with Israeli institutions would be suspended in accordance with a recommendation by the school’s advisory committee.

A statement said existing cooperation between Israeli institutions and the school would be reviewed.

Temporary suspension of new cooperation with Palestinian institutions was also being considered, it added.