Protesting on campus
We live in a time filled with major societal issues that affect our students and staff—directly or indirectly. Climate change, war, and polarization are just a few examples of issues with a huge impact. We want to create space for the concerns and frustrations that come with such developments.
Among the thousands of students and staff who study and work with us, there are also people who do not want to protest, who feel unsafe or unwelcome due to demonstrators’ actions, or who hold different opinions. This diversity of viewpoints is also a key part of the university.
The main rules for a peaceful, safe protest are:
- No disruption of education or research.
- No occupations or overnight stays.
- No intimidation, violence, or vandalism.
- No face coverings.
Update of house rules
There has been a lot of discussion about the UvA’s house rules before and during the summer. In particular, the wording about where and when protests are allowed was not clear enough. Therefore, an update of these house rules is in progress, taking into account the feedback from students, staff, the FNV union, and various other social organizations. The Central Works Council and the Central Student Council of the UvA are the main partners in this process and have been given the right to advise on this matter. More information will follow.
How the UvA handles protests
The UvA’s goal is always to ensure that protests on campus are peaceful and that everyone feels safe. We aim to maintain dialogue with our protesting students and staff to ensure this. The hope is that by working together with students and staff, protests will proceed smoothly.
Furthermore:
- Security personnel will indicate safe routes.
- Contact points will be available for demonstrators who feel unsafe.
- We may take safety measures, such as closing a building, when necessary.
Guidelines for a peaceful protest
To help ensure a safe protest, we provide more information and guidelines for people who are present on campus at that time.
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Intimidation and vandalism
Unfortunately, we have experienced that protests sometimes escalate into intimidation and vandalism. We do not want this on campus. If this occurs, or if house rules are violated, we will ask protesters to leave.
In the event of disruptions, threats, safety risks, or signs of these, the police will be informed. This is simply a notification between two organizations. When informed, nothing necessarily happens. The police may come by to assess the situation themselves. -
Filing a report
Procedure for filing a report
Protesters who do not follow the rules will first receive a warning from a UvA representative and, if necessary, also from the police. A UvA representative will then ask the protesters to leave.
Filing a report
If UvA security is insufficient or if actions occur that our security is not authorized to handle, police assistance will be called. The UvA will file a report in cases of criminal offenses, such as vandalism or break-ins. The UvA will also file a report if people’s safety is at risk, for example, if areas or emergency exits are blocked. A report is also filed if people refuse to leave UvA buildings after closing hours.
After filing a report
It is not up to the UvA to decide if and how the police act. The Public Prosecutor or the mayor ultimately decides whether and how the police should proceed. The police will warn the protesters and, on behalf of the mayor, instruct them to leave. If they do not comply, the mayor can ban the protest. In extreme cases, the police may use force; this is subject to strict conditions and is always reviewed afterward.
Read more about the role of the police in protests on the police website (in Dutch).
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Damage from protests
People present at protests that turned into vandalism have previously caused significant damage to the campus. For example, the damage from the protests on May 7 and 8 at Oudemanhuispoort and the Binnengasthuisterrein is currently estimated at 1.5 million euros. The damage from later vandalism at the Roeterseiland campus and other protest actions is in addition to that. Damage to municipal property, businesses, or individuals is not included in this estimate.
Where possible, the UvA seeks to recover damages from those responsible. Unfortunately, this is not always possible, such as when it is unclear who caused the damage. In such cases, the UvA is partially insured for the damage.