In the early hours of Tuesday, police in Amsterdam arrested approximately 125 activists as they dismantled a pro-Palestinian demonstration camp at the University of Amsterdam. The police action was deemed necessary to restore order after the protests turned violent. Fortunately, there were no immediate reports of injuries.
Video footage from the scene showed police using a mechanical digger to remove barricades and officers with batons and shields dispersing the protesters. The demonstrators had constructed barricades using wooden pallets and bicycles.
The protesters, who had occupied a small island at the university, were calling for Amsterdam universities to sever academic ties with Israel in response to the recent attacks on Gaza following the deadly Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas militants in southern Israel.
Similar protests have been taking place at campuses in France and the United Kingdom. Prior to the police intervention, clashes erupted between two opposing groups of activists on Monday night.
Police stated that they cleared the camp after the protesters repeatedly ignored orders to disperse. The presence of barricades posed a safety risk, hindering emergency services from accessing the site and potentially trapping the activists in case of a disaster.
Photos taken on Tuesday morning depicted tents, banners, and food items strewn across the campus, along with piles of cobbles that had been uprooted from the street during the demonstration.
While the campus was reported to be calm on Tuesday morning, police officers remained in the vicinity to maintain order. Attempts to reach the university for comment were unsuccessful as calls went unanswered and emails were not immediately responded to.
