The use of police violence on students endangers democracy in our city

As the leaders of the Transforming Cities Community we want to speak out against the use of police violence against our students on 19 May 2025. Multiple videos show students protesting the genocide in Gaza being beaten by police with batons, with no clear attempt to de-escalate the situation with non-violent means. Mayor Sharon Dijksma has since indicated that this violence was not part of the instructions given to the police, but this did not prevent the beating of our students.

As the Transforming Cities Community we are dedicated to engaging with Utrecht as a city of peace and a place to experiment with better futures. We believe the safety of our students to protest is an essential element of a desirable city in this regard, and that the disruption of educational activities as part of such protest should not be answered by police violence. The earlier protest encampment in the University Library was allowed to stay, and the result was an enrichment of activist and cultural activities in the city in the form of talks, workshops and more – showing what is possible when the right to protest is safeguarded.

The more than 100.000 estimated people who protested the genocide in Gaza on Sunday May 18th similarly showed that many share the concerns of the students. It showed that a politically active citizenship can flourish in Dutch urban landscapes when it is not met with police violence.  Protests can be disruptive – that is often the point. We understand that the safety of students is important, but this also includes being able to protest without police violence. We consider such a repressive and violent response by a university that is itself under threat from repressive policies to be very harmful, especially in response to an outcry for very urgently needed action against genocide.

We were inspired by the statement made by the Contesting Governance platform, and we encourage other communities and groups at Utrecht University to speak out as well. Your voices count. There are also several initiatives calling for action at Utrecht University in the face of genocide – get in touch if you would like to know more.

Undersigned by: Joost Vervoort, Ozan Alakavuklar, Helen Toxopeus, Geertje Speelman, Bobbi Jelgerhuis Swildens, Elisa Terragno Bogliaccini

This statement has been issued by the core team members of the Transforming Cities Community and may not reflect the views of all of those participating in our wonderful community.