Last week, comedian Freek de Jonge called upon students to be more vocal. But that call has hardly been answered on Tuesday: the average age of the protesters is closer to 50.
When asked why there are no young people here, the few dozen students who are participating in the march almost all have the same answer: students generally do not suffer from the earthquakes and therefore do not know how serious the problem is.
But a march like this can engender the necessary awareness, say a couple of students who have joined by chance. ‘I never knew so many people were affected by the gas extraction’, one student admits. So why have the pair decided to join? ‘It’s cold, and the torches were nice and warm’, she says after the camera has been turned off.
Shame
Some of them are clearly a little ashamed. Many of them never even knew about the protest. Even the ones who did know about it fail to come up with a better excuse than ‘I still have to go get dinner’.
Student Daniël also admits that he has no specific reason to not pick up a torch. ‘These are mainly people who are scared that their house will collapse. Most students here live in houses with roommates. They don’t hear all that much about the consequences of the gas extraction.’
As far as Koen is concerned, it is a matter of respect. He is originally from Leeuwarden, but has joined the Groningen residents out of solidarity. ‘I do think students should join. They’re a guest in this province. They should stand up for the people who live here.’