Pro-Palestine activists occupied the Goudsmitpaviljoen behind the Huygens building this morning. They have locked the building from the inside and a number of activists are also at the door, secured to railings and to each other.

The reason for the occupation, says the group’s spokesperson, are the University’s ties with three Israeli organisations. These ties arise as part of a project that falls under Horizon Europe, a European funding programme for research and innovation. ‘Aside from the fact that all ties have still not been broken, we find it really scandalous that Radboud University is entering into a new partnership starting January,’ said the spokesperson of the Nijmegen Student Encampment. The partnership in question was entered into back in 2023, but will not start until 1 January 2026.

The activists chose the Goudsmitpaviljoen because, they say, the researcher receiving the Horizon grant is associated with the Institute for Molecules and Materials (IMM), which is housed in this building, as well as in other locations. ‘We will stay here until these ties are severed,’ the spokesperson said. ‘We are not going to allow research to be done in this building while that research is causing Palestinians to lose their lives.’

According to the spokesperson, apart from the occupiers, there are no employees or other people in the building.

Expensive equipment

The Goudsmitpaviljoen is surrounded by water to dampen vibrations. An underground corridor system connects the building to the Huygens building and NanoLab Nijmegen. The pavilion houses some expensive equipment, which is used to conduct research on the spatial structures of materials.

Hans Janssen, who works in the building as a technician, says he and some of his colleagues just arrived and were prevented from entering. He is concerned about the equipment that is inside and particularly about its dangers to the people in the building. ‘We work in the lab with high magnetic fields and substances like nitrogen and helium. These can pose danger to someone who does not know what they are doing. One potential danger is that people will get stuck to a magnet.’

‘One potential danger is that people will get stuck to a magnet’

The potential impact on research that may now be disrupted is as yet unknown. The security staff present said they could not yet comment on the steps to be taken; consultation was required first.

Complicit

For now, the spokesperson for the activist group is not concerned about potential dangers: ‘People are dying every day in Palestine and Radboud University is complicit in that. If Radboud University is actually concerned about our safety, we hope they will say: we will sever the ties and then our students will be safe.’

The spokesperson did not wish to comment on how the activists got inside the building. According to staff member Janssen, you can only enter with a pass.

2.30 p.m. update: The Executive Board has entered into dialogue with the activists at the pavilion. A statement on their website states that the Executive Board is very concerned about the safety of the occupiers and that the University is ‘in continuously asking the activists to voluntarily take steps to leave the premises’. According to the news report, this concerns a group of about 10 activists.