Protesting on campus
What do the house rules on protesting entail?
The UvA respects and facilitates the right to protest. Students, employees and others within the UvA community can make their voices heard and draw attention to social issues. A number of guidelines apply here:
- Demonstrations or protests are allowed on UvA grounds and in buildings, provided they are peaceful. Blocking and/or occupying buildings is not permitted.
- Notify the UvA of a demonstration at least 48 hours in advance to ensure safe conduct.
- Ensure that teaching and research can continue. It is not allowed to disrupt lectures and exams. Additionally, patient care must not be disturbed in any way.
Update of house rules
In 2024 there was a lot of discussion about the UvA’s house rules. 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 local trade unions FNV, CNV and AOb, 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 granted the right to consent on this subject. The renewed rules are ready in draft form and are have been sent to both councils for consent.
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.