4 juni 2025 - 18:06
Talks stopped
Talks between the protesters and the UvA administration have ended. The protesters see no room for further talks. “The UvA does not want to talk about breaking ties with Israeli institutions. And they don't even want to talk about not establishing new ties,” said a negotiator from the protesters.
Today, delegate protesters had talks with several deans starting at noon. After the talks, they informed the UvA that they did not want to continue. They are now considering further action: breaking up the tent camp, staying or other actions.
The UvA says it regrets that the talks have ended. “We experienced the dialogues as pleasant,” a spokesperson let it be known. The actions already agreed upon will still be implemented by the UvA. Earlier, the university let it be known that it will not press charges if the occupation remains peaceful.
This is the last post in this liveblog.
4 juni 2025 - 16:21
Protesters: “We did not concur to the agreements”
The protesters claim that they did not accord the statement issued by the University of Amsterdam (UvA) regarding the agreements that were supposedly reached yesterday. “We did not contribute to the final statement issued by the UvA,” said one of the organisers of the occupation.
In a statement on Instagram, the protesters criticised the UvA's statement about six new agreements that the university allegedly made with protesters. “These were not six new agreements with us, but plans that had already been announced by the Executive Board,” reads a statement on the Instagram account of Amsterdam Encampment.
Review within four weeks
Furthermore, the protesters claim that agreements were made about deadlines. According to them, the UvA board promised during the negotiations that the collaboration with Tel Aviv University would be reviewed within four weeks. A letter to the government about its position on “the genocidal violence in Gaza” was also supposed to be sent this week.
The Central Student Council has now declared its solidarity with the protesters. “Their points correspond with ours,” the CSR states on its website. Negotiations between protesters and various UvA deans, this time without rector Peter-Paul Verbeek, resumed at noon today.
4 juni 2025 - 15:05
“Wave of occupations”
Since yesterday, other universities have followed the example of the UvA tent camp and pro-Palestinian occupations have sprung up. Several tents have been pitched in the courtyard of the VU University Amsterdam since Tuesday morning. As far as is known, protesters at that university are not yet negotiating with the VU board.
A peaceful occupation also took place at Utrecht University, where a building on Janskerkhof was occupied yesterday. To their own surprise, the protesters were allowed to stay there on Tuesday night. They left on Wednesday morning for fear of police intervention without having negotiated with their board. Nevertheless, the UvA protesters describe the other occupations as part of an “occupation wave”.
4 juni 2025 - 13:42
Two more demands on the table from protesters
The protesters’ negotiators want to discuss two of their demands today. The protesters who have occupied the field on Roeterseiland want, first of all, the ties with Tel Aviv University to be suspended. This must happen while the ethics committee’s investigation into the collaboration with the Israeli university is ongoing. That investigation should be completed within four weeks. Yesterday, the UvA agreed with the protesters that this collaboration would be investigated more quickly.
The negotiators also want the UvA to stop its research collaborations with Israeli institutions if the European Commission does not reconsider its ties with Israel. Yesterday, the UvA agreed with the protesters to ask other Dutch universities to join a request to the European Commission. The Commission should be asked to completely review the cooperation with Israel in the European “Horizon project” fund.
4 juni 2025 - 11:24
Accelerated investigation into Tel Aviv University
Several negotiations between Rector Peter-Paul Verbeek, FMG Dean Christa Boer and FGw Dean Marieke de Goede over the past few days have resulted in six provisional agreements.
Firstly, an accelerated investigation will be conducted into the collaboration with Tel Aviv University. An exchange agreement is in place with that university, although UvA students are no longer able to travel to Tel Aviv due to the situation in Gaza. Tel Aviv University has been identified by several researchers, including Israeli Maya Wind of the University of British Columbia and Somdeep Sen of Roskilde University, as complicit in the genocidal violence in Gaza. It has also been agreed that the matter will be discussed in the representative advisory bodies and that the outcome of those discussions will be made public.
Reconsideration of European collaborations
Furthermore, if there is support from other Dutch universities, the UvA wants to ask the European Commission to reconsider its collaboration with Israel. All of the UvA’s research projects with Israeli institutions are funded by Horizon Europe, an EU fund.
The UvA deans are also sending an urgent letter to the cabinet calling for a stronger stance on Israel’s “genocidal violence”. In addition, the UvA is organising an information session on Wednesday 4 June about Horizon Europe and how that project, with Israeli collaborations, works. Finally, the agreements stipulate that the UvA and the protesters will remain in dialogue.
3 juni 2025 - 14:16
Negotiations today
The negotiations between the protesters and the CvB have ended for today. The UvA board and the protesters have yet to agree on whether or not the UvA should sever collaborations with Israeli institutions. The organisation expresses its hope to speak further tomorrow about the protesters’ demands: severing all ties. A response from the UvA will follow “within the hour”, according to a negotiator over a megaphone on the Roeterseiland.
“The UvA management and the deans were not all on the same page, and that offers perspective,” the negotiator finally announced. The UvA acknowledges that there are different opinions, “but that is not that weird,” says a spokesperson. “Everyone agrees that what is happening in Gaza is atrocious and beyond reproach. There is now enough evidence to speak of genocide. The only question now is, how do you deal with these facts and what is the university’s role in this?”
“There is a group at the university that believes all ties should be cut with Israel,” said the spokesperson. “On the contrary, another group says: this is also how you punish people who are critical of Netanyahu. Instead, you have to increase political pressure, and you do that by staying in dialogue with the people there as well.”
Already expired
Finally, the protesters’ negotiator let people in the camp know that the Faculty of Humanities was not going to renew its cooperation with Ben-Gurion University in Beir Sheva. But according to the UvA, this cooperation had already expired in 2023 and was not renewed. “And there is currently, given the situation there, no intention to extend this cooperation either,” the UvA spokesperson said.
Can the protesters stay overnight too? According to the UvA, there is no reason to press charges if the occupation of the “meadow” remains so peaceful. “The situation has also changed somewhat. The OM has said that this area on Roeterseiland is publicly accessible, so there can be no trespassing. Therefore, it is up to the triangle to possibly file this report.” There are other grounds on which the UvA could file a report, but they are not an issue now. “People are not masked, there are no barricades and the demonstration is peaceful.”
3 juni 2025 - 11:45
Respectful
The talks on Tuesday morning have concluded. According to a UvA spokesperson, it was a “respectful” conversation between the protesters and the Executive Board. Agreements were reached between those involved, which will be shared in the early afternoon.
3 juni 2025 - 08:17
Quiet night
The night went quietly at the tent camp on REC. Over 40 protesters spent the night there in about 20 tents. Some of them were patrolling. “I slept well,” says one protester. “Around 1am I went to sleep, then everything was quiet.”
He will attend the conversation with Rector Peter-Paul Verbeek at 08.30. “I am looking forward to the conversation and hope we can continue the positive discussion from yesterday. I'm curious to see if they will really take a step, or if it will remain just understanding our questions.”
By a step, he refers to severing ties with Israeli institutions. “A very reasonable question when you look at the situation. Other universities have already done it, I hope the UvA will do the same.”
2 juni 2025 - 20:01
Optimism
Optimism reigns in the tented camp. Students chat a bit on rugs on the grass as evening sets in. “We are just really happy,” says a male protester about the Uv’'s message that they can stay. “This is what we were hoping for,” his friend adds. “Now we can just continue negotiating tomorrow. Our demands are clear and we can demonstrate for a while.” He goes into the night with confidence. “The political climate is changing. I really think we can negotiate something with the administration,” he says before walking to his tent.
A female protester a little further away is already well prepared for a long night. “I have my laptop with me and a good book,” she says cheerfully. She hopes many more students will join her tomorrow morning. “It has been said many times but who wants their university to be complicit in a genocide?”
2 juni 2025 - 19:48
Spend night
The protesters may now spend the night in tents on the Roeterseilandcampus after all, a spokesperson confirmed. “As long as it remains peaceful and no barricades are erected, we see no reason to press charges.” Talks between the Executive Board, the deans and the protesters will continue tomorrow.
2 juni 2025 - 18:18
Collateral
The protesters refuse to break up. “Then we have lost our collateral to negotiate,” says a spokesperson. As long as the UvA does not meet their demands, the encampment will remain, he argues. “The UvA administration can ask if we break up temporarily, but how can we be sure that we can then negotiate again tomorrow?”
2 juni 2025 - 17:50
UvA urges demonstrators to leave
The University of Amsterdam (UvA) has issued a statement calling on demonstrators to leave. “Although the atmosphere on the lawn is calm, for safety reasons we advise that the encampment be dismantled in the evening—whether temporarily or not,” the university writes on its website. Talks will continue tomorrow.
But what if the demonstrators don’t comply? “We hope they will,” a spokesperson said. “We currently have good communication. Things are proceeding well and peacefully. But we have asked the demonstrators to leave before 10:00 PM.” If that doesn’t happen, the UvA will consider further steps.
2 juni 2025 - 15:49
Staying the night
The protesters have no plans to leave today. “If our demands are not met, we will stay the night,” a spokesperson said.
The University of Amsterdam (UvA) states that overnight stays are “in principle” not allowed, referring to the university’s house rules. “However, the protesters – without face coverings – are currently inside, in conversation with Rector Magnificus Peter-Paul Verbeek and FMG Dean Christa Boer,” a spokesperson said.
The protesters present are sitting in a circle, listening to speeches by students and staff. By now, around seventy people are present on the grass, including well-known UvA figures such as writer Safae el Khannoussi and Maagdenhuis occupation leader Jarmo Berkhout.
2 juni 2025 - 15:05
No barricades
Unlike last year’s occupations, there are no barricades on the access roads to the field. “And there won’t be any,” a spokesperson for the demonstrators says. “We want to keep it open for everyone.” This time, there are also no plans to occupy buildings, the spokesperson adds.
2 juni 2025 - 14:28
Open debate
UvA rector magnificus Peter-Paul Verbeek and FMG dean Christa Boer have arrived at the protest camp. They are speaking with the organizers of the occupation. Verbeek expresses his willingness to remain in dialogue.
Verbeek also states that the University of Amsterdam’s stance has changed compared to earlier demonstrations. “We did not speak out before, but now we are saying that genocidal violence is taking place in Gaza.”
He does not yet clarify the exact consequences of this new position for the university. Nor does he comment on suspending collaborations with Israeli institutions. “We want to keep the debate open, but we also do not want to contribute to human rights violations. It’s a dilemma.”
The UvA official also refrains from commenting on possible police intervention. “We’ll see,” he says, before walking onto the field at the Roeterseilandcampus.
Al-Najjar
As soon as Boer and Verbeek leave, the demonstrators begin chanting slogans such as “Free free Palestine.” A demonstrant speaks: “We are here in support of the Palestinian cause. We claim this area and rename the campus the Al-Najjar Campus.”
Hamdi al-Najjar was a doctor in Gaza whose nine children had previously been killed. He himself died yesterday from injuries sustained in the same Israeli airstrike that killed his children.
2 juni 2025 - 13:28
Tents and Partytents
Just like over a year ago, demonstrators have once again set up their tents on the so-called Roetersweiland, the lawn at the Roeterseiland Campus. They are demanding that the UvA cut its ties with Israeli universities.
Around fifteen small tents have been pitched, along with at least four large partytents. In the afternoon, lectures will be held on the topic of Palestine. Members of the organising groups are wearing brightly coloured vests. The atmosphere among the roughly forty attendees can be described as calm.
Spokesperson Martijn Dekker says the demonstrators are there with the same demands that have been voiced for some time now. “The UvA must cut ties with complicit Israeli institutions. We are reinforcing this demand with this encampment, which serves as a lead-up to negotiations.”
Taking Action
Last week, Rector Peter-Paul Verbeek published a statement online in which he – for the first time – spoke of the “genocidal violence” in Gaza. Dekker hopes this signals that the UvA is now preparing to take real action. “Public perception is also clearly shifting. We’ll remain here peacefully this afternoon, and we will continue to do so until the UvA takes action.”
A spokesperson for the University of Amsterdam stated that the university will first enter into dialogue with the demonstrators.
“After that, we’ll reassess the situation.” University President Edith Hooge is currently on temporary leave, meaning that Peter-Paul Verbeek is currently fulfilling both the roles of President and Rector Magnificus.
