Students from Belgium and the Netherlands unite in Gaza protest movement

On Monday, students in Belgium and the Netherlands took a stand by setting up protest encampments at the universities of Ghent and Amsterdam. Their demonstration was in opposition to Israel’s war on Gaza, and they joined the global student movement that originated on U.S. campuses.

A spokesperson from UGent, the University of Ghent in Belgium, has verified that around 100 students are currently occupying sections of the university, corroborating earlier accounts in the local media.

She went on to mention that the students have decided to continue the protest until Wednesday, May 8th.

UGent did not approve the students’ protest request, but several UGent employees and professors have signed an open letter supporting the protest and condemning the university’s decision to continue its relationship with Israel.

In the Netherlands, students set up an encampment in an area of the University of Amsterdam (UvA) asking both UvA and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) to stop their economic and academic partnerships with Israel, a spokesperson for UvA said, adding that if students stay overnight, the university will contact the police.

VU did not immediately reply to a request for comment.