Pro-Palestinian activists occupying Ghent University’s Coupure campus since 22 April have now set up tents in the university’s UFO building just streets away, organisers confirmed in a Thursday press release.
The activists met once for informal talks with Rector Petra De Sutter at the start of the occupation, but the discussions yielded no results. They have since demanded an “open” dialogue involving media presence, a proposal rejected by the rector, leaving meaningful negotiations at a standstill.
Reports of vandalism, burglary, and theft allegedly committed by the demonstrators at the Coupure campus prompted the university to issue a formal request for them to vacate the premises on Thursday. The university warned of legal action if the protesters refused to comply.
In response, roughly 30 activists occupied the UFO building on Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat later that day, stating that a new Board of Governors meeting is scheduled there on Friday.
The protesters are calling for an end to all ties between Ghent University and Israeli companies, universities, and institutions, a demand the university has refused to accept.
