A group of pro-Palestinian activists have daubed red paint on the office of the rector of Ghent University. The rector is the university’s highest official. The activists said they wanted to denounce UGent's cooperation with Israeli institutions. "UGent makes itself complicit in genocide in Gaza," the activists claim.
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Pro-Palestinian activists attack Ghent University in protest against ties with Israel
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The group of pro-Palestinian activists is demanding that UGent institutes an academic boycott of Israeli institutions. The activists say it is unacceptable that UGent is still maintaining ties as war ravages Gaza. To highlight their demand the activists daubed a university building with red paint.
The activists claim that UGent has 18 cooperation agreements with companies that support the Israeli defense force and other Israeli bodies. "This makes UGent complicit in the genocide in Gaza. The university is hiding behind vague statements, but our patience has run out" the activists note.
At several universities, joint action was taken by students and staff yesterday. In Ghent, sympathisers embroidered the names of Palestinian victims of the conflict on a large canvas. So far nearly 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza following the Israeli onslaught on Hamas after the 7 October massacres in Israel.
"We can't just drop out of projects"
UGent points to the existence of several European research projects that also involve Israeli institutions. It is, according to the university, not easy to get out of these. An evaluation is ongoing. If any cooperation is not in line with human rights policy, it can be stopped the university notes.