Cleveringa Lecture moved because of demonstration in Academy Building
A small group of Students for Palestine demonstrators occupied the Academy Building on Rapenburg in the afternoon of Wednesday 26 November. The Cleveringa Lecture by political scientist Hélène Landemore had to be moved to Leiden Law School’s Kamerlingh Onnes Building.
Update 21:05 hrs.
The university had no choice but to order the occupiers to leave the Academy Building this evening. Attempts to resolve the situation through discussions and to persuade them to leave peacefully were unsuccessful. When the occupiers failed to comply with the order, the building was cleared by the police. This proceeded without incident, and the occupiers did not resist. An initial inventory shows little or no damage to the Academy Building.
A small group of Students for Palestine demonstrators occupied the Academy Building on Rapenburg in the afternoon of Wednesday 26 November. Demonstrators also gathered outside the building and called out chants. The demonstrators want Leiden University to break all its ties with Israeli universities. The Cleveringa Lecture by political scientist Hélène Landemore had to be moved to Leiden Law School’s Kamerlingh Onnes Building.
Landemore showed understanding for the situation. ‘People demonstrate when they are angry and feel they are not being listened to. Democracy is messy. Universities have the responsibility to protect spaces where people can speak freely.’ This could also be construed to mean that it was also important to allow this lecture to go ahead.
Committee
The university previously froze its teaching programmes with Israeli universities. A special committee is preparing advice on the ongoing academic collaboration with Israeli universities.