Dutch riot police intervened to disband a pro-Palestinian demonstration at an Amsterdam university early on Tuesday, leading to the arrest of approximately 125 individuals amid sporadic clashes, authorities disclosed.
In messages shared on social media platforms overnight, police indicated the necessity to intervene and dismantle tents erected by protesters, citing instances of violence directed towards law enforcement personnel.
“The police’s intervention was deemed essential to restore order. We are aware of the circulating footage on social media, and acknowledge that the visuals may convey a sense of intensity,” remarked the police in their statement.
Local media outlets depicted scenes of demonstrators launching fireworks at police officers, though there were no immediate reports of injuries sustained by either side.
Subsequently, the situation calmed down, with police affirming that tranquility had been restored around the Roeterseiland campus.
Expressing regret over the necessity of police intervention, outgoing Education Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf underscored the importance of universities as spaces for dialogue and debate.
Meanwhile, student protests addressing the conflict and academic relations with Israel have emerged across Europe, albeit on a smaller scale compared to those witnessed in the United States.
Last Friday, authorities in Paris intervened at France’s prestigious Sciences Po university, evicting student activists who had occupied campus premises.
In a similar vein, over 100 students have occupied Ghent University in Belgium, engaging in both climate and Gaza-related protests, with intentions to prolong their demonstration until Wednesday.
As European governments turn a blind eye to ongoing genocide in Gaza more and more people take to the streets in an originally peaceful protests. However as they face active retaliation for their inability to ignore an ongoing humanitarian catastrophe pro-Palestine activists tend to radicalize that leads to more clashed with law enforcement. This issue sure has a solution with the governments putting real effort to deter Israel’s conduct in the Gaza Strip.
