Pro-Palestine Protest in Groningen Leads to Eviction of Encampment

Peaceful demonstration escalates, resulting in police intervention and clearing of month-long encampment at University of Groningen

On Wednesday, a pro-Palestine protest in Groningen escalated, resulting in the eviction of a month-long encampment in front of the University of Groningen's Harmony Building. The protest began peacefully with about 500 people at peak gathering at the Grote Markt to raise awareness about the violence in Gaza. Protesters waved Palestinian flags, called for a ceasefire, and chanted slogans like "Boycott Zara" and "Boycott McDonald's".

Photo Credits: GM Editorial/Anila

These chants were born from outrage over Zara's recent advertising campaign that had been seen by many as mocking the suffering of Palestinians, featuring imagery of rubble and what appeared to be white body bags. Meanwhile, McDonald's boycott began after its franchise Alonyal announced it would donate free meals to the Israeli military amid the Gaza war. The protesters staged a "die-in" in front of Zara and McDonald's, lying down to symbolize the lives lost in Palestine.

As the protest continued, a small group of five to ten people decided spontaneously to occupy a university building. While this action may have been intended as a peaceful banner drop and open meeting with the CVB, it was met with a strong and immediate police response.

The action was not planned by the encampment but was carried out by an independent group of protesters. Despite this, the encampment was blamed for it. The police used significant force, reportedly injuring several demonstrators and targeting specific individuals, including one who was simply filming the police action.

Later in the evening, the encampment, set up on May 13th to pressure the University of Groningen to cut ties with entities involved in the Gaza conflict, was also cleared by the police. Although the encampment was peaceful, the occupation of the university building prompted the authorities to act. The protesters had been warned about the impending police action and vacated the site before the police arrived, leaving behind an empty tent camp for the authorities to clear.

The clearance operation took place a few hours after the Groningen municipality adopted a motion to mediate the conflict between the protesters and the university. RUG claimed that they warned the occupiers before police intervention. However, the police went ahead with the eviction, stating that the occupation and the encampment were linked, justifying their intervention.

Photo Credits: encampment.rug

Eyewitnesses described the police action as very violent, with reports of injuries including a person losing consciousness during arrest and another suffering a broken hand. The police reportedly targeted demonstrators' heads, kneecaps, and shoulder joints, actions seen as against protocol. Additionally, there were claims of racial profiling and unfair targeting of specific individuals. One of the victims is still incarcerated.

The encampment, which had stood for a month on Harmonieplein, aimed to push the university to cut ties with Israel due to the ongoing war in Gaza. While the tent camp has been cleared, the demonstrators have promised to continue their actions, with new protests expected in the future. The Harmony Building area will remain fenced off until further notice as the municipality and university deal with the aftermath of the protest and eviction.

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