24 May 2024 12:00 hrs

Liveblog closed for now

This live blog is closed for now. Things are calm around the encampment. This live blog will be reopened in case of any developments.

23 May 2024 16:00 hrs

Protesters rent portable toilet

The portable toilet, which protesters are renting from a private company in Groningen, arrived early this morning. They had previously asked the municipality to provide a portable toilet, but that request was denied.

‘It is also up to the organization of this demonstration to arrange this kind of thing and that is not a task or responsibility for the municipality,’ says municipality spokesperson Hans Coenraads, Municipality spokesperson.

The new toilet will make life in camp more comfortable. Before this, demonstrators used a camping toilet. The toilet costs a couple of hundred euros per month to rent, along with cleaning costs. Supporters have stepped up to help pay for this, according to a camp spokesperson.

22 May 2024 10:00 hrs

A visit to the encampment: ‘We have the energy, we have the people’

Camp life at Harmonie square has entered its second week. There is a ‘shop’ offering free food and water, a bookshelf, a medical centre, and more.

Meanwhile, the camp is guarded day and night, and this is necessary. On the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, the protesters were harassed by a group of youths. There is university security, a camera on the Harmonie building, and the police visit daily.

Read more: A visit to the encampment: ‘We have the energy, we have the people’

21 May 2024 17:00 hrs

‘Wrong’ investments and the duration of the protesters’ stay

Does or doesn’t the UG invest in companies involved with the Gaza conflict? The Harmonie square has now been occupied for nine days; how long do the demonstrators intend to hold out? These and more questions (and, of course, the answers) can be found here: ‘Wrong’ investments and the duration of the protesters’ stay: Five questions about the encampment (part 2)

21 May 2024 15:00 hrs

Slogans and sirens during opening of UG anniversary celebration

Several protesters shouted slogans and waved the Palestinian flag during the opening of the UG’s anniversary celebration on Monday afternoon. They also set off a siren. The university is celebrating its 410th anniversary with various events throughout the week.

20 May 2024 20:00 hrs

‘Close ties between UG and GUF’

The UG does have shares in ‘genocide companies’ doing business with Israel, protesters claimed during a special session on the subject at Harmonie square on Sunday.

The UG has no direct ties with those companies, the protesters said, but it does have indirect ties through the non-profit organisation Groninger Universiteitsfonds (GUF). The two are closely linked ‘since the purpose of the GUF is to finance the UG’.

Moreover, the UG’s rector and board chairman sit on the GUF’s supervisory board. It is hypocritical to ignore that, the protesters said.

19 May 2024 18:00 hrs

‘A short march is better than no march’

A clear blue sky, 22 degrees, sunshine. Under those beautiful conditions, a solidarity march was held Sunday afternoon in the Groningen city centre to support the tent camp at Harmonie square.

Solidarity marches usually start at the Grote Markt, but the organisers had to change their route this time because of the fair.

In consultation with the police, a short route was chosen, starting at Aletta Jacobs’ mural on Broerstraat and ending at the camp. ‘A short march is better than no march’, said the organisers.

17 May 2024 21:45 hrs

Wanted: earmuffs and anxiety toys

The demonstration was quiet and peaceful all day. At the camp, posters and postcards were made to be signed by passers-by. Otherwise, the main need was for tables, chairs, and other items to furnish the camp. Most notable on the list: earmuffs and anxiety toys, such as stress balls for tension relief.

On Sunday, a solidarity march for Palestine is scheduled. It starts at 2 p.m. at Aletta Jacobs’ mural on Broerplein.

By 10 p.m., a large proportion of visitors had left, and the camp was getting ready for the night. There seemed to be fewer protesters staying overnight than in recent days.

17 May 2024 19:00 hrs

Lecturers show support for pro-Palestine encampment

On Friday, about twenty lecturers publicly announced support for the protesters at the pro-Palestine encampment. They read a statement in which they urge the UG to comply with the students’ demands.

The staff members also expressed their disappointment for the university’s tightening of protest rules on campus grounds. This was pointed out by the recent installation of camera’s on Broerplein.

‘We refuse to be complicit. We are concerned about the risks to the students’ safety from police violence, violations of privacy, and intimidation that constraints fundamental freedoms’, stated Alexander Martin, assistant professor from the Faculty of Arts.

Read more: Lecturers show support for pro-Palestine encampment

17 May 2024 15:00 hrs

Protesters have a busy day

Another day at the encampment… The protesters at the Harmonie square are having a busy Friday, probably much busier than they would have had on a normal lecture day at the UG. Cleaning, workshops, crafts and, at five o’clock this afternoon, a solidarity meeting with UG employees.

17 May 2024 14:00 hrs

‘UG has links to complicit Hebrew University’

The statement the UG put out last week about its ties to Israeli universities is incorrect, says Ale ten Cate, faction leader of student party Lijst Calimero in the university council.

For the past few months there have been multiple requests for the UG to publish its ties with Israeli universities and institutions, Ten Cate says. ‘Because of reasons unknown and incomprehensible to me, only last week on Friday the UG put out a statement in which these ties are addressed. In the statement, there is no mention of names of universities and institutions that the UG has ties with. Why not?’

One of the universities is the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Ten Cate says, and it has a campus in illegally occupied Palestinian territory and also facilitates the Israeli army.

Read more: ‘UG has links to complicit Hebrew University’

17 May 2024 10:00 hrs

Anniversary programme adjusted, vintage market off programme

The vintage market that was supposed to be held on Harmonie square on Tuesday as part of the UG’s 410th anniversary has been removed from the programme because of the encampment at the front of the square.

According to a UG spokesperson, the initiative to cancel the market lies mainly with the twenty-five shopkeepers who had signed up for the market. They feel it isn’t safe due to the demonstration nearby. There is no other place to move to because of the fair taking place in the city, the UG said.

16 May 2024 20:00 hrs

Protesters prepare for a rainy night

It has been bright, sunny and warm weather for the past few days. But the rain has now also reached Groningen. Protesters are attaching tarpaulins over their tents to avoid getting wet. They are also urged to take shelter and stay warm. Sympathisers stop by to bring rain jackets and umbrellas.

16 May 2024 16:00 hrs

University council criticises UG’s position in questions about Israel

The board of directors doesn’t understand why there is such a chasm between them and the students and staff participating in the pro-Palestine demonstration. ‘I’m definitely hearing what the students are saying, but they’re saying we’re not listening’, board president Jouke de Vries said during the board’s committee meeting on Thursday. He asked the university council to help him better understand the protesters.

‘The rift was caused by the university, which refused to discuss its ties to Israel for too long’, said Lijst Calimero’s Ale ten Cate. ‘Then they put out a statement that includes no names. The Hebrew University, which has a campus on occupied Palestinian territory, isn’t mentioned, and the statement also contained factual errors. Things like that aren’t exactly conducive to a good relationship with the students.’

The university council will have a more in-depth discussion about the pro-Palestine demonstration and the university’s position during its meeting on May 30. Until then, the council will try to act as a liaison between the board and the protesters.

16 May 2024 13:00 hrs

Escape route in case of calamity

At the request of the municipality of Groningen, the protesters created an open space around the tent camp. In case of an incident, people could then quickly seek a safe refuge. The days before, there were all kinds of objects and also tents. The protesters have now largely removed these.

16 May 2024 1:00 hrs

Rector: We don’t have any shares in ‘genocide companies’

UG rector Jacqueline Scherpen sharply denies protesters’ accusations that the university has 1 million euros worth of shares in companies ‘complicit in the genocide in Gaza’. She made this statement during a committee meeting preceding the university council meeting.

‘That is patently untrue’, Scherpen said. ‘This shows how much disinformation is going around. There is a bubble there somewhere that is disconnected from what we are really doing.’

‘We are working on three projects involving Israeli partners, but these are large-scale EU projects on topics that have nothing to do with military activities. There are no military collaborations.’

Last week, the UG announced the fields in which it cooperates with Israel, following protests elsewhere in the country. Scherpen stated: ‘We investigated knowledge security and whether employees participated in military projects.’ This was not the case, the rector said. Student exchanges are on hold anyway, she noted, due to the security situation.

15 May 2024 23:00 hrs

The square is full, no more tents can be set up

Around 11 in the evening, it becomes quiet in the tent camp. Sympathisers and visitors have gone home, the protesters dive into their tents and sleeping bags. Although there are no concrete figures, there are more people than in previous nights, says a spokesperson of the emcampment. Some tents could not even be set up because the square is full.

15 May 2024 15:30 hrs

Banner with 20,000 tally marks to count the dead

A protester is working on a banner with at least 20,000 tally marks on it. ‘This represents the number of Palestinians killed in Gaza so far,’ he says. By mid-afternoon, he is at about six thousand marks, while the banner is already at least half full. ‘It might be too small’, adds a fellow protester.

15 May 2024 11:30 hrs

Masks and demands, but no pictures

Why did the protesters cover their faces? Why do they make trouble when journalists enter the square? Why don’t they want to talk to the UG? You can read these questions (and more) plus the answers here: Masks, demands but no photos, five questions about the tent camp

15 May 2024 11:00 hrs

Academia waits for no protester

Several students take breaks from protesting at the Harmonie square to get some studying in. The student in the photo has an essay due next week and is using the quiet morning to study up. That’s one advantage of setting up the encampment at the university: free Wi-Fi through eduroam.

15 May 2024 09:00 hrs

More tents added to encampment

The second night at the Harmonie square encampment passed without incident. Several tents were added and the protesters have set up a makeshift medical station. Various activists are saying that more protesters are on their way to Groningen. This could mean they’ll run out of space on the Harmonie square.

14 May 2024 23:00 hrs

Escape route between the tents

As night falls, the approximately sixty protesters set up a kind of guard group. They discuss how to prevent incidents between protesters and non-protesters, like the one that happened during the first night. They’ve cleared a space between the tents to serve as an escape route, and protesters who feel unsafe are allowed to sleep in the back.

A total of around eighty protesters and sympathisers remain on the square. A few more tents have arrived over the past few hours, meaning there will be more protesters staying overnight than yesterday.

14 May 2024 21:30 hrs

Banner states demands: Sever ties with Israel

It’s getting quieter; there are only around a hundred people left on the square. The protesters have hung a new banner, which states their demands. They’re again insisting the university announce and sever all ties with Israeli organisations and universities.

14 May 2024 18:00 hrs

Harmonie square fills up again

As the clock strikes six, there are several hundred people occupying the Harmonie square. Once again, UG employees have joined the protest. After a relatively quiet day, chants have now been reverberated through the Oude Kijk in ’t Jatstraat for nearly an hour. But the atmosphere is good, even if the slogans being chanted aren’t: ‘Israel Terrorist’, ‘Biden terrorist’, and ‘Rutte Rutte you’ve got blood on your hands.’

14 May 2024 16:00 hrs

Encampment sets up shop

The protesters have set up a little convenience store on one of the benches at the Harmonie square, offering water, other drinks, bread, fruit, and various snacks. Everything is free and was brought in by themselves and sympathisers.

14 May 2024 15:00 hrs

UG president: We’re willing to talk, but they aren’t

The pro-Palestine protesters camping out at the Harmonie square say the university has been ignoring them for months. That’s not true, says De Vries; the protesters themselves are making a dialogue impossible.

Read more: UG president Jouke de Vries: We want to talk, but they don’t want to

14 May 2024 13:00 hrs

The elections continue as usual

On the other side of the Harmonie square, behind the closed gates under the arches, various student parties are campaigning in the university elections this week, which will continue until May 17.

14 May 2024 09:00 hrs

UG: Everything is open again, classes will take place as scheduled

The atmosphere on the Harmonie square is good. A few dozen protesters are sitting in the sun, eating breakfast or talking to each other.
In the meantime, academic life continues as normal. According to a UG spokesperson, today is ‘a day like any other’: the buildings are open, classes will take place, and students and staff can come to the university without issue.

14 May 2024 08:00 hrs

One arrest during first night of encampment

With the exception of a few minor incidents, first night of the pro-Palestine demonstration at the Harmonie square went by quietly. The police dropped by every once in a while and were forced to intervene during an incident between protesters and non-protesters.

One person, who either couldn’t identify themselves or refused to do so, was arrested. The police won’t say whether the person was a protester or not.
‘There is some tension, of course, but that is the case with the entire conflict and people’s opinions about it’, said the spokesperson for Groningen mayor Koen Schuiling. ‘But it’s not severe enough that other actions are needed.’

Read more: One arrest during first night of encampment

13 May 2024 19:30 hrs

Mayor: No evacuation

The encampment of pro-Palestine activists on the Harmonie square will not be evacuated as long as the protesters remain peaceful and traffic on Oude Kijk in ‘t Jatstraat is not hindered.

So says Groningen mayor Koen Schuiling’s spokesperson. The front part of the Harmonie square is a public area and thus ‘the decision lies with the triangle of mayor, police, and public prosecutor’, he explains. ‘For now, there is no reason to take action.’

Read more: Mayor of Groningen: No eviction as long as it remains peaceful

13 May 2024 17:30 hrs

Protesters stop journalist

Just after 5.30 p.m., there was a bit of commotion at the Harmonie square. A journalist walked across the square to take photos and was stopped by a group of protesters and then surrounded.

On the outer walls of the UKrant building, the protesters have written the number 103: a reference to 103 journalists killed in Gaza so far. Yet the protesters themselves do not want to be interviewed, photographed or filmed by journalists.

13 May 2024 16:00 hrs

Confusion at Harmonie square

It’s unclear what exactly is going to happen. The UG’s new house rules do not allow protests in or around UG property after 7 p.m. But a spokesperson refused to comment on whether the university would strictly enforce those rules today. The protesters also will not say whether they’re planning to stay the evening or night at the Harmonie square.

At approximately 27 degrees Celsius, the Harmonie square is very hot. The protesters have retreated into the shade. People applaud when someone hands out bottled water.

In the meantime, the riot police have intervened at the University of Amsterdam. Pro-Palestine protesters have occupied the Roeterseiland building, which they targeted earlier as well. They have raised barriers, among other actions.

13 May 2024 14.45 hrs

Police alert, say situation at Harmonie square is calm

The police say the situation at the Harmonie square is calm. There are currently around twelve officers present, but there is no reason to intervene. The police briefly prepared to do so when it looked like the protesters wanted to breech the closed gates at the back of the Harmonie square. The number of officers present can quickly be reduced or increases, the police say. The protesters are also refusing to talk to the police.

13 May 2024 13:15 hrs

The protesters refuse to talk to the press

The protesters refuse to talk to the press. They agreed not to responds to any journalist. Instead, they refer them to the Instagram page of Groningen for Palestine, which organised the protest. The atmosphere on the square is pretty good. Many people are chanting and even more are clapping along.

13 May 2024 12.40 hrs

Protesters remove UG flag, replace it with Palestinian flag

The protesters have taken down the UG flag from the flagpole at the Harmonie square. Instead of the UG flag, there is now a Palestinian flag flying at the Harmonie square.

13 mei 2024 12.00 uur

Oude Kijk in ‘t Jatstraat blocked off

The police has blocked traffic from entering the Oude Kijk in ‘t Jatstraat. Pedestrians and cyclists are still allowed through. Restaurant suppliers, including UG catering company Beijk, have to park at the beginning of the street.

13 May 2024 11.00 hrs

Walk-out joins protesters

Students and staff gather on the Broerplein at 11 to participate in the walk-out, a protest against the way the encampment at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) was cleared last week. They join the protest at the Harmonie square.

13 mei 2024 10:40 uur

Scuffle breaks out when protesters set up tents

Pro-Palestine activists have gathered at the Harmonie square (next to the UKrant offices) and are erecting an encampment. A passer-by is upset and attacks protesters, trying to kick down their tents and remove their banners. The protesters and the man get into a fight. The police and UG security intervene. The man has been taken away, but it’s not clear if he’s been arrested.

Read more: Pro-Palestine tent camp at Harmonie square, UG will allow it for now