14 April 2025
The UvA respects and facilitates everyone's right to demonstrate. However, the UvA must also ensure a socially and physically safe study and work environment. Masked demonstrations and the occupation of buildings are entirely incompatible with this. The Executive Board of the UvA therefore is not entering into negotiations with the demonstrators today and has filed a police report.
The demonstrators were repeatedly urged to leave voluntarily. Some complied with this request. Nevertheless, a group remained in the Maagdenhuis. As a result, the police cleared the building. By around 17:15, all demonstrators had been removed from the Maagdenhuis. It has since become clear that the buildings interior was vandalised, causing significant damage.
Chair of the Executive Board (CvB) Prof. Edith Hooge stresses that there is no excuse for the occupation and the damage done: ‘Everyone is free to demonstrate, but intimidate and vandalise, you just don't do that.’
She spoke to AT5 earlier today about the occupation by around fifty masked demonstrators: ‘People were working in the Maagdenhuis and suddenly had to pack up and leave immediately. That feels threatening and intimidating. Many colleagues were shocked. For colleagues who need support, we will arrange aftercare.’
She also explained why the UvA is not responding substantively to the demand: ‘Within our university, there is always space for open dialogue, debate, and discussion. Naturally, we engage in conversations – including about the terrible situation in Gaza. Demonstrating is allowed here, but this is a very different situation. This group entered anonymously, masked, and barricaded the building. We are not engaging with that.’
In recent months, the UvA has worked on new guidelines for partnerships with institutions in conflict areas, such as those currently in Israel and Gaza. These new guidelines are being developed specifically to better prevent our research and teaching collaborations from contributing to, for instance, human rights violations or the misuse of knowledge for undesirable military purposes.
In developing these guidelines, we are mindful of the diversity and complexity of considerations involved in such cases. Collaborations are assessed substantively and on a case-by-case basis.
As part of this process, three urgent cases were reviewed in parallel with the development of the framework, including collaboration with an Israeli university. As a result, it was decided not to extend the student exchange agreement in the current form with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Visit uva.nl/protests for more information regarding the demonstrations and the current situation on campus.