Frequently asked questions protests at UU

We appreciate the involvement of students and staff who continue to call attention to the situation in Gaza and Israel in various ways. We are glad that in various places within Utrecht University, such as with our University Council, the conversation is and will continue to be held. We ask our community to conduct the conversation with attention and respect for each other from person to person. There is always room within Utrecht University for different (scientific) perspectives and feelings. Calls for hatred, violence, intimidation or calls that otherwise transgress the framework of the open society are of course out of place. Maintaining an open dialogue with each other is all the more important when tensions within universities grow.

Factors in all considerations include the fact that several students and staff currently do not feel safe because of what is happening. Not only Jewish students and staff, but also students who say they just want to go to college and staff who just want to do their jobs and now feel hampered in doing so. There are also students and staff who feel pressure to speak out. We find this undesirable. Everyone should feel safe at our university. We do everything we can to make that possible, but we do worry about polarization and its consequences.

Up-to-date information and the latest developments can be followed at the page UU and the situation in Gaza and Israel.

The Executive Board feels a responsibility for all the nearly 50,000 students and staff of all backgrounds. It is important that everyone feels welcome and safe at Utrecht University, regardless of their origin, background or political beliefs.

We care about and offer support to students and staff who are directly or indirectly affected by the situation in Gaza and Israel. We offer students and employees who are in need of counseling. Our employees can contact Staff Welfare Service (intranet, login required). This tool allows students to see where they can go. Students who find themselves in financial difficulty as a result of the situation in Gaza & Israel can of course appeal to our Emergency Fund.

In case of immediate threat, call emergency assistance

Is there an immediate physical threat (urgent/life threatening)?

• If you are on campus, dial 0031 030-253 4444 for emergency assistance and life-threatening situations. This number is not intended for general, non-acute questions about safety.
• If you are not on campus, dial 112 for emergency assistance and life-threatening situations.

No urgency?

If there is no urgency, you can contact security via our UU Control Room (24/7) at: 030 253 1300 or via meldkamer@uu.nl.

Do you have a question or report related to the situation at Utrecht University in the context of the demonstrations and/or the Israel/Hamas conflict? You can report this via info@uu.nl.

You can do so via the page Talk in confidence, report or file a complaint.

Demonstrating peacefully is appropriate in a democracy and also at an academic institution. Occupying a building or grounds does not count as demonstrating and is not permitted, nor is staying overnight in buildings or on university grounds. Our buildings and grounds must be vacated at closing time. We also expect everyone to abide by our house rules, which state, among other things, that wearing face coverings is not permitted. This is in accordance with the UNL directive released on May 14.

Our buildings are dedicated to teaching, research and operations that support it. Building occupancy interferes with the university's ability to perform our primary mission of facilitating teaching and research.

At the start of the occupations, the closing time of the building was always immediately indicated, and the house rules were pointed out. These principles were not sufficiently heeded during the May 7, 8 and 15 occupations. Moreover, the regular and emergency exits were blocked from the inside. The buildings were not accessible to our security staff, and if e.g. a fire would have broken out, it was also not possible for the protesters to get out quickly. Thus, security could not be guaranteed.

Contact was made several times at each occupation to engage in conversation with a delegation of the protesters. Conversations were often not possible or only possible to a very limited extent. The Executive Board is responsible for the safety of employees and students on university grounds and buildings. The moment safety could no longer be guaranteed, people were asked to leave. Those requests were repeated several times on May 7, 8 and 15, including in the form of a formal demand.

Most of the students and staff complied with those requests during the protests and occupations, leaving on their own at some point. Unfortunately, a small number of protesters chose not to heed the repeated call to leave the building or grounds. It feels like a loss that some people had to be forcibly removed by police to end the occupation.

Read more about this in the interview with College President Anton Pijpers about the demonstrations.

• Pro-Palestine protesters are demanding that universities, including Utrecht University, take a clear position. The universities’ neutral position would suggest stance. The protesters condemn Israeli attacks in Gaza as genocide and demand that Utrecht University speak out clearly against it.
• In doing so, the protesters demand transparency on cooperation with Israeli universities, research bodies, organizations and companies.
• It calls for freezing, breaking or boycotting institutional partnerships with Israeli institutions.

Pro-Palestine protesters are demanding that universities, including Utrecht University, take a clear position. The universities’ neutral position would suggest stance. The protesters condemn Israeli attacks in Gaza as genocide and demand that Utrecht University speak out clearly against it.

• View Utrecht University's statement towards the conflict.

In doing so, the protesters demand transparency on cooperation with Israeli universities, research bodies, organizations and companies.

• We do not believe that ending or freezing all contact with a country's educational institutions is a solution. We think it is important to remain in dialogue with students and colleagues from conflict zones, because it is precisely they who can contribute to change from within. A review of collaborations with Israeli institutes was published on May 17. In the coming period, these collaborations will once again be critically evaluated. If it appears that certain academic ties and exchange collaborations contribute to (the continuation of) the cycle of violence, this will lead to the freezing of the collaboration. In light of recent developments, the UU will test new collaborations on the basis of our knowledge security assessment framework, which also explicitly addresses human rights and ethical aspects.

It calls for freezing, breaking or boycotting any partnerships with Israeli institutions.

We do not believe that ending or freezing all contact with a country's educational institutions is a solution. We think it is important to remain in dialogue with students and colleagues from conflict zones, because it is precisely they who can contribute to change from within.

Due to the occupations and their termination, there are some damages to our premises and belongings inside. These do not appear to be purposeful vandalism by the protesters, apart from texts written on the walls. These can (probably) be removed again. So the damage has been limited.

Utrecht University has not filed charges of housebreaking because the effort has been focused continuously on de-escalation.

From various sides we are called upon to take a (political) stand for or against one of the parties involved. In our judgment, such a stance does not suit us as a university. We offer space to share insights and information, express concerns and share opinions. Because these are topics that affect us, these can be difficult, uncomfortable and/or painful conversations. We believe it is essential that Utrecht University is and remains a safe place for all our students and staff, regardless of their origin, background or political beliefs. We encourage and facilitate independent thinking, critical debate and thoughtful analysis, in the hope that this results in solutions, innovations and ideas about how things can be done differently. We encourage our scientists to share their expertise with society as they play an important role in interpreting the ongoing conflict.

View the statement Executive Board and deans

Check the central government website for current travel advice to Israel (in Dutch) and the Palestinian Territories (in Dutch).

We do not think that ending or freezing all contact with educational institutions of a country is a solution. We think it is important to remain in dialogue with students and colleagues from conflict areas, because it is precisely they who can also contribute to change from within.

Soon after the invasion of Ukraine, Utrecht University, like all other Dutch universities, froze ties with Russian and Belarusian educational institutions at the urgent request of the Dutch government and European Union as part of the international sanctions. However, we see the negative effect this has on contacts with Russian researchers, including scholars critical of the regime. This leads us to understand that this measure is not always desirable.

As an academic institution, we are deeply concerned about the destruction of the academic infrastructure in Gaza. Precisely because students and scientists can make such an essential contribution to positive change. We will therefore explore ways in which Utrecht University can contribute to rebuilding the educational and academic infrastructure. We are open to suggestions in this regard, and will join with other universities/UNL in advocating that OCW also make efforts in this regard.