Developments demonstrations on campus

01 July 2024News item

Monday 17 June

• Radboud University posted a message 'Interpretation of partnerships is an aspect of academic freedom'.
• Monday 24 June, a consultation meeting is held with the Executive Board at the request of the University Joint Assembly following various developments around demonstrations and actions.

Friday 14 June

• Executive Board President Daniël Wigboldus and Rector José Sanders were interviewed by Voxweb regarding the demonstrations and actions at the university in recent weeks.
  

Tuesday 11 June

• Prof. Lagendijk's statement on LinkedIn that two chair groups no longer want to support agreements with two other universities was made on his own behalf. For Radboud University's positioning, please refer to this post.

Sunday 9 June

• The Executive Board shared a statement about the announced lecture by Situating Palestine on Monday 10 June.
• The mayor has decided that Gaza/pro-Palestine demonstrations on the Radboud University campus may only take place at a designated spot, next to the Elinor Ostrom building, at location P7a.

Saturday 8 June

• An open letter (in Dutch) appears in Trouw announcing that Dutch universities will not cut ties with Israeli universities. This open letter was signed by the rectors of the universities, including our own rector magnificus José Sanders.
  

Friday 7 June

• TvA1 will largely reopen from Monday 10 June. Some spaces on the first floor will remain closed for longer due to repair work. Users of the building will be directly informed via e-mail.

Thursday 6 June

• Radboud University posted an update on the occupation and vandalism of TvA1 and the evacuation of the tent camp.
• Thomas van Aquinostraat 1 is closed today and tomorrow. All other buildings on campus are open as usual.

Wednesday 5 June

• By order of Mayor Hubert Bruls, in response to the havoc in TvA, the tent camp is being cleared. The following statement goes out via the Municipality of Nijmegen:
  "The tent camp will be cleared tonight with the permission of the 'gezagsdriehoek', because of the clear relationship with today's destruction and occupation. It has to stop now. No destruction or violence should ever be needed to make a stand."
• The police have carefully gone through TvA 1. The building is empty. At this time, we do not know when the building can be used again. Thursday and Friday educational activities will be rescheduled. About workplaces, people involved will be informed as soon as possible.
• At the end of this afternoon, protesters occupied Thomas van Aquinostraat 1. The group of about 30 set up tents in the courtyard of the building, placed barricades in front of the doors, turned on fire hoses and applied numerous graffiti to the building. These were acts unacceptable to Radboud University.
  The protesters would not leave after being asked to do so by security, and indicated that they would not leave the building voluntarily. Eventually, the activists did leave the building; police who arrived around 10 p.m. found an apparently abandoned building with complete havoc inside. She combs the building, room by room, just to be sure.
  Not to mention the increased stress and time the entire occupation has cost security and other professionals, it will be a lot of work to restore the building and make it usable again; teaching and other duties will have to be moved for several days.
  We are deeply indignant about the occupation and vandalism. This behavior is unworthy of Radboud University.19:00: The building has been barricaded and defaced, and tents have been set up in the courtyard.
• The protesters have not yet complied with the request to leave the building.
• Protesters have occupied part of TvA. Safety & Security asked the protesters to leave the building at 18:00.

Monday 3 June

• Rector Magnificus José Sanders shares a column "About Listening", in which she reflects on communicating within the academic community.

Saturday 1 June

• Several spots on campus were sprayed with graffiti again. They have been cleaned and report of vandalism was filed.

Friday 31 May

• After the public University Joint Assembly, the protestors held a demonstration on campus that ended at the Berchmanianum building. Around noon, about 20 protestors consisting of students and staff, entered the offices of the Executive Board. They gained access to the building through the side entrance, which can be accessed with an employee campus card. While standing in the central hall of the building, they chanted slogans were, with which they personally addressed president of the Executive Board Daniël Wigboldus. The university spokesperson communicated again that the Executive Board would meet with representatives of the protesters next week, and then asked them to leave. The protesters did not comply. The group of protesters then entered the office of the president, who was meeting with vice president Agnes Muskens. The protesters' faces were not covered, but they were carrying flags. Security was called upon and they subsequently asked the protesters to leave several times. The president and vice president left the office. Around 13.15 p.m. some of the protesters left the building. The remaining 10 protesters occupying the president's office and the two protesters in the central hall left the building around 15.00 p.m.
• An additional, public University Joint Assembly was held this morning in response to the demonstrations on campus. It proceeded peacefully in the presence of a number of protesters and staff.

Wednesday 29 May

• Situating Palastine Collective has announced a demonstration on Thursday, 30 May, at 12:15 p.m. They have invited the Executive Board to meet with student and staff representatives at that time. In response, the Executive Board has indicated that it would like to meet with representatives next week. This week, the conversation with the participational bodies is their priority.
• The Executive Board has decided to hold an additional University Joint Assembly on Friday, 31 May.
  

Tuesday 28 May

• Radboud University posted an update on the evacuation of the Erasmus Building on Monday night.
• Meanwhile, the Erasmus building has been cleared and cleaned and the low-rise building can be used for teaching purposes again tomorrow. Students are advised to keep an eye on their timetable, as always.
• As mentioned yesterday, the low-rise part of the Erasmus building still needs to be put in order. Where this has not yet been achieved, alternative teaching locations will be offered.
  

Monday 27 May

Evening:

• The Executive Board repeatedly, urgently asked the protesters to leave the Erasmus Building voluntarily and peacefully. This has not been followed up. The next step is up to the police.
• The Executive Board of Radboud University once again urged the students to leave the Erasmus Building. When this was not complied with, at about 11 p.m. the Executive Board ordered the demonstrating students to leave the Erasmus Building. The Executive Board sees the great commitment of the demonstrating students.
  To date, the demonstrators at the university have been given every opportunity to make their voices heard. That voice is being heard and is already influencing university policy as evidenced by previous updates.
  However, the current form of demonstrating exceeds the limit of what is permissible. Several educational activities could not take place as planned as a result of the demonstration, forms of vandalism have occurred, and hand-held fire alarms have been unnecessarily pressed several times since the occupation. All of this creates an undesirable and unsafe situation for all staff and students. If the protesting students do not comply with the order then the police will evacuate.
• The Executive Board called the spokesperson for the protesters to invite him and two other demonstrating students to a conversation about the situation that had arisen. The Executive Board takes that situation so seriously for the safety of all students and staff that the police would be present at the conversation in the Berchmanianum. The spokesman for the protesters did not want to accept the invitation because he wanted to talk about the demands.
  Subsequently, the Executive Board offered to meet with the spokesperson with two fellow students tomorrow at 9 a.m. to talk. But on the condition that the protesters leave the building now. The Executive Board states that protesters have to leave the premises for security reasons.
• Several windows were taped with silver foil by protesters and furniture was placed in front of doors by way of a barricade.
• A number of protesters did not leave the Erasmus Building after closing time (at 7:00 p.m.).

Afternoon:

• On Monday 27 May 2024 in the afternoon, a group of protesters occupied the second floor of the Erasmus Building, including an entrance to rooms where teaching was supposed to take place. As a result, 18 teaching activities could not go ahead as planned. It is as yet unclear how many of these activities could proceed at another location. The protesters once again expressed their wish to enter into dialogue with the Executive Board. The spokesperson of Radboud University contacted the protesters' spokesperson on behalf of the Executive Board and informed them that occupying buildings and disrupting teaching was not permitted. The protesters' spokesperson was also informed that they could expect to receive an invitation for an interview with the Executive Board at a later moment.
• An incident took place in the bicycle basement of the Erasmus Building in response to vandalism, leading to the arrest of two protesters. For further information, please contact the Nijmegen police.
• The team working on the accelerated establishment of a Partnerships Advisory Committee held their first meeting.
• Around 12.00 p.m., a 'walk out' took place in front of the Berchmanianum administration building.
• Radboud University was informed by the protesters that they were preparing to escalate to Phase 3.
• Radboud University posted an updateregarding the concerns and actions at the University. This update states, among other things, that administrative contact with partner institutions will begin this week, and that there will be an integrated assessment framework, which can be used to evaluate partnerships with institutions.

Friday 24 May

• The shoe campaign continued and reached the front door of the Berchmanianum building.
• During the day, a talk took place between the Executive Board and 12 representatives of protesting students and staff members who support them on behalf of Situating Palestine Collective. During this talk, an open letterexpressing staff support for the protesters' demands was handed over to the Executive Board. At the time, the letter had been signed by 300 employees (that number later grew to at least 350). During this talk, the protesting students reiterated their demands, and the members of the Executive Board indicated that they were speeding up their efforts to establish a Partnerships Advisory Committee.
• Around 12.00 p.m., a 'die in' took place in front of the Berchmanianum administration building, with protesters lying on the ground.
• In the morning, it became apparent that the windows and walls of the Berchmanianum building had been sprayed with red and black paint. Later that day, the slogans were removed by a cleaning company. A report of vandalism was filed.

Thursday 23 May

• The windows and walls of the Berchmanianum administration building, and the white letter logo in front of the building, were sprayed with red paint. A report of vandalism was filed.
• Around 12.00 p.m., a 'sit in' took place at the intersection of Erasmuslaan and Heyendaalseweg.
• The Executive Board received a request from the Situating Palestine Collective announcing that staff members of Radboud University would hold a staff demonstration on Friday 24 May at 12.15 p.m. to express their support for the students in their demands and their right to protest; afterwards, a group of staff members would want to enter into dialogue with the Executive Board about the demonstrations, and present a petition to the Executive Board. Earlier that week, Radboud University had received an e-mail on behalf of the protesting students, calling on the University to engage in dialogue about their demands by Friday 24 May. Both requests were granted, but the protesting students and staff wanted to meet with the Executive Board on Friday 11.00 a.m. with 12 students and staff. The Executive Board agreed to this meeting.

Wednesday 22 May

• Around 12.00 p.m., a 'sit in' took place at the Maria Montessori building. During the action, an incident took place between protesting students and professional services staff.
• Radboud University posted an updateregarding the concerns and actions at the University. This update included an overview of the institution-level partnerships the university is currently engaged in, and an update on the accelerated establishment of a Partnerships Advisory Committee.

Tuesday 21 May

• A Situating Palestine seminar was held at the Lecture Hall Complex.
• The President of Radboud University called the spokesperson of the protesting students about the protest march and the protesters climbing onto the roof of the Refter and the Lecture Hall Complex. The spokesperson could not be reached.
• Demonstrators walked in a protest march to the Berchmanianum administration building. They wanted 30 protesters to meet with the Executive Board. The Executive Board wished to talk to 10 protesters. The protesters did not respond to this request.

Monday 20 May

• In the afternoon, the Rector Magnificus contacted the spokesperson of the protesting students to indicate that the Executive Board did not want overnight stays in tents on campus and was concerned about the safety of students and staff.
• In the evening, the Rector Magnificus contacted the spokesperson of the protesting students to indicate that no additional tent camps were allowed on the campus grounds.

Saturday 18 May

• Protesters placed tents next to Thomas van Aquino 1. The Rector Magnificus indicated to the spokesperson of the protesting students that no tents were allowed to be placed there.

Friday 17 May

• Protesters climbed onto the roof of the Lecture Hall Complex.
• The President of Radboud University tried to contact the protesters' spokesperson, but was unable to reach them.
• A meeting took place between the Executive Board and the protesters, in which the protesters communicated their demands.

This overview will be completed.

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Demonstrations

Recently, several protests have taken place at our university and other universities. We understand and share the concerns and emotions raised by the situation in Israel and the Palestinian territories. On this page you will find the latest news and...