Student in hospital after Radboud CvB calls police to silence students
We are suing the CvB for their brutality and carelessness after they again sent police with dog units on campus
Radboud University once again sent police on campus - for no other reason than students protesting against RU's complicity in genocide. Once again they resorted to scaring away, arresting, and violently assaulting their students, unwilling to engage in dialogue or to respect basic democratic rights.
After aborting talks with students yesterday outside of the Berchmanium building, the CvB called police on campus when students attempted to continue the dialogue. Just as they stand silent in the face of genocide, they stood by silently as security staff physically assaulted students on the grounds of their own university. After the protest was shut down, the police attempted to arrest students that were still on campus, despite the demonstrators leaving and being on the other side of the campus. With at least 14 police cars and dog units, police and security staff worked together to surround and grab students outside the EOS building. Without any reason being given by police, 3 students were arrested, police assaulted and injured multiple students with batons, and one student was violently attacked by an officer using a dog - resulting in a flesh wound that requires surgery.
Not only is the CvB upholding colonial violence and oppression, they are increasingly and carelessly throwing violence and oppression at their students, via security and police.
Now, we are suing them.
The situation in Palestine - A Holocaust unfolding
As we are nearing the 77th anniversary of the Nakba - the killing and displacement of Palestinians for the establishment of the israeli settler colony - the genocide of Palestinians by israeli settlers is escalating to the degree that many are calling it a Holocaust. We are all bearing witness to the actions and statements of the Apartheid regime, which is now talking about a final solution for Gaza - a total occupation and dispelling of Palestinians, whatever means necessary. Despite the clarity of the situation, the Radboud CvB continues to maintain ties with Israeli institutions, while stalling and suppressing all demands to cut them.
On the 7th of May, we once again gathered at the Berchmanium to demand action from the CvB. While Alexandra came out to respond to our calls for an end to Apartheid and genocide, she quickly reverted to tried-and-trusted political tricks to avoid an actual conversation. In the middle of her opening sentence - after noticing the student speaker partially cover their face with a kuffiye for privacy - Alexandra immediately screamed that she does not talk to people with face covering and retreated into the building. A tactic that CvB members and representatives regularly use across the netherlands and beyond to sabotage any moment of dialogue.
“Security attacked us, not the other way around”
After Alexandra walked away, our students attempted to follow her through open doors into a public university building - just to immediately be attacked by security guards. In the video above, you can clearly see how students are being pushed, beaten, and dragged by Radboud security staff. Their only "crime" - trying to enter a university building and talk to their CvB representatives.
Radboud University chose to escalate a simple demonstration by allowing security to illegally assault students and calling police on their own community members - once again.
Police arrived immediately at the Berchmanianum, ready to forcefully dispel students from the building and shut down the protest. As we are all-too used to police and security violence, we chose to end the protest and leave - the police chose to kettle us outside the building and assault us, targetedly attempting to remove face covering
Police officer: “We wait until students are more dispersed until we arrest them. That is why we waited until you guys were walking home. That is our tactic.”
When students and staff left the premise on their own accord, the police deployed the by-now familiar tactic of snatching protesters after the demonstration ended. Students attempting to cope with the fresh violence of security suddenly found themselves surrounded by 14 police cars and a horde of police officers and security staff. Not only is this a highly questionable method, it is quickly becoming the new standard tactic of Dutch police - as verbally confirmed by Nijmegen Police.
*TRIGGER WARNING: the video below shows heavy unjuries
As can be seen in the clip above, this quickly escalated into police and security tackling students and violently pressing them to the floor. Police were quick to use their batons to assault our students, attacking one first from behind and then directly on the knee, resulting in serious injury. Another student was attacked by police with a dog, with the surrounding officers watching and belatedly stepping in to remove the dog - more occupied with keeping surrounding students away from the victim than preventing violence. Amongst the chaos, police snatched two more students, arresting them without communicating the reason for arrest - another illegal act that is being normalised by the lack of accountability for police.
Radboud is lying, hoping to justify their illegal and brutal actions
Even more shameful is the response from Alexandra van Huffelen, President of the Executive Board, who LIED and twisted the narrative to justify this abuse in her later public statement. Alexandra, who we are getting to know as yet another unscrupulous politician, ready to twist public perception to cover up her dirty and illegal deeds. Alexandra, who did exactly that to cover up the Toeslagenaffaire.
Alexandra now has the audacity to accuse her own students of violence - while watching security and police assault those same students. The videos speak for themselves. You can see exactly what happened as we entered the building — students being brutalized, once again. There was never any violence conflicted from the students’ side.
Gaza has been under total siege for over 2 months, and Radboud University has taken no action to do even ANYTHING, let alone cut ties.
We are taking legal action to hold Alexandra, the CvB, and the Police Nijmegen accountable for the illegal deployment of dogs and grave injury of students.
And we will continue to stand for a free palestine, and against apartheid and genocide.
In pursuit of freedom, justice and decolonisation,
Signed, the Nijmegen Student Encampment