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.’
New rules
The protesters had feared that the UG would decide to clear the square. Since the introduction of new demonstration rules, demonstrations on UG grounds are allowed to last until 7 p.m. at the latest. But since it is public terrain, this does not apply here, the spokesperson said.
‘It doesn’t have to end at seven o’clock. The framework we adhere to is: is it peaceful? And can traffic pass by without obstruction? Then it does not matter whether it is during the day, in the evening, or in the middle of the night.’
Precautionary measures
Meanwhile, the university has closed all buildings in the city centre (Heymansgebouw, UB, Academiegebouw, the Harmonie, and more) at 6 p.m. as a precautionary measure.
The number of protesters and bystanders has significantly increased in the past hour, with several hundred people on the square.