The light and camera towers at the Broerplein were removed last week. According to the UG, they had fulfilled their purpose.
‘They were installed to monitor potential vandalism. Since they were installed, no incidents have occurred, except for when the towers’ cables were cut’, says a university spokesperson.
The UG set up the towers in May of last year, after the Academy Building, the University Library (UB), and the Röling Building were repeatedly defaced with pro-Palestine slogans in the preceding six months. Additionally, fourteen windows were smashed at the UB.
Unease
Both the student parties in the university council and Groningen student union GSb advocated for the removal of the towers in recent months. They argued that students felt they were being watched. Furthermore, the square had been calm for months, rendering the cameras unnecessary.
In response to the concerns, university president Jouke de Vries stressed repeatedly that he too would prefer to remove the cameras, but that they were there for a reason. In the university council meeting in December, he said a decision about the cameras would be made in January.
New measures
Now, the cameras are being removed, although the UG has implemented other precautionary measures. ‘Visible and invisible measures have been taken to replace the cameras’, says the spokesperson. ‘There are now more security guards and coaches present on the Broerplein.’
Coaches can be identified by their red UG jackets, while security guards wear uniforms with a ‘V’ logo. Coaches are only authorised to address people for minor infractions, such as smoking in prohibited areas or improperly parking bicycles.
Security guards, according to the spokesperson, have a broader mandate. ‘If the situation calls for it, they can stop individuals and ask for their UG ID. If necessary, they will call the police and request that the individual remain until the police arrive.’
However, the spokesperson confirmed that those asked for their UG ID are not obligated to provide it, and individuals stopped by security are free to leave without consequence.