Once again, an encampment of the pro-Palestine movement has appeared on the Radboud University campus. Some 30 tents were set up behind the Huygens building early this afternoon. Dozens of sympathisers gathered on the spot, demanding that Radboud University cut all ties with Israeli institutions and companies.

The encampment arose in response to the Executive Board’s proposed decision to freeze university and faculty ties with Tel Aviv University and Hebrew University. This was announced yesterday. The protesters feel the proposed measures don’t go nearly far enough.

‘The consortia in which these universities participate continue to exist as before. And other partnerships – with at least three other Israeli institutions such as Technion Institute, Haifa University and the Weizmann Institute – remain completely unaffected,’ reads a press release from the Nijmegen Student Encampment. The protesters also object to the fact that partnerships with companies such as HP, which supplies hardware to Israel, were not included in the assessment.

Complicit in genocide

The protesters demand that Radboud University ‘sever all ties with Zionist institutions and companies; otherwise it will remain complicit in the system of apartheid, colonialism, and genocide that oppresses the Palestinian people.’

In addition to ending relations with Israeli institutions and companies, the protesters also want the university to publicly condemn the genocide in Gaza and actively provide aid to Palestinian students and staff. ‘As long as these demands are not met, we will remain here.’

Last year, activists also camped for several weeks on the campus grounds. At the time, the encampment was situated on the lawn between the Maria Montessori building and the Lecture Hall complex. Following the occupation of the Thomas van Aquinostraat, the the encampment was evacuated by the police.

Early this afternoon, the university was unable to comment on whether the new encampment will be allowed to stay.