On January 16th, students will gather at the Roeterseiland campus- not to join their respective classes, but to join in a protest against the UvA’s continued ties with oil giant Shell.

YOUvA today reporters will be right here, keeping all of you updated live! Tune in at 12 to follow along!

12:07

Despite the miserable weather, people have already started gathering in front of the law building, armed with umbrellas, raincoats and banners.

12:30

March has begun, the protesters are headed to PC Hoofthuis.

1:34

Speeches in front of the Oudemanhuispoort. We’ve heard from UvArebelion, ASVA, Casual UvA, the Activisten Partij and many other student organizations and activists. There are even parties from Rotterdam, Delft, and others. As banners went up, the crowd cheered and chanted – not just in favor of climate action, but also for the rights of refugees and Palestinians.

2:44

Once speeches conclude there is a break. The organizers play music, and tea and snacks are passed around by the organization. We are told that there are negotiations with the UvA representatives, and the organizers are hopeful the protesters can enter the OMHP building soon.

3:04
Protesters are entering the building, but for safety reasons, the press has been asked to remain outside.

The following updates are recorded retroactively, in accordance with the information provided by various official sources such as the CSR and the CVB:

5:00

Organizers met with the President of the Executive Board Geert ten Dam and Vice-President Jan Lintsen for a conversation about their demands. According to the UVA, the protesters were asked if they could guarantee that the occupied building was evacuated that same day they were unable to do so. Following this conversation, the UVA representatives filed a police report.

8:00

Police in riot gear arrive at the location, and multiple videos posted on social media show the officers using force in order to remove the protesters gathered both inside and outside the building.

11:45

According to official sources by this hour the building had been evacuated completely, and 30 students had been arrested.

Tuesday, 17.01.2023

12:00

Protesters stage a noise demonstration outside the building where 24 students are still being held to show their solidarity

13:00

The Central Student Council holds a meeting with the Executive Board in order to discuss the events of the previous day. While the meeting had been scheduled prior to the events of the 16th, the intervention of police on campus has been added to the top of the agenda. Another item was the university’s connection to Shell, as the CSR has also previously urged the Executive Board to commit to distancing the university from the oil giant and eventually cutting all ties.

The meeting was attended by several guest observers as well as two of the university’s security guards, an unusual addition to CSR meetings.

9:00

It has been announced that all arrested students have been released from Police custody, and arrestee support has been made available to them by the organisers of the protest.