The activists that occupied the Ghent UFO building since 6 May left the building on Friday morning. On Thursday the Court of Appeal in Ghent (East Flanders) ruled that that the group would face penalty payments of 250 euro/day if they remained in the building beyond 8:30am today.
In a press statement released early on Friday morning the activists said "Today, on the fortieth day of our occupation, we have no other option but to leave, even though our demands remain legitimate".
The activists that took part in the demonstration demanded that Ghent University end all cooperation with Israel. The university made some concessions to the activists demands and in time it says that it no longer wishes to maintain academic ties with Israeli academic institutions as long as the government there is involved in human rights violations. However, the protesters, that include pro-Palestinian and environmental activists, want a full boycott that also includes Israeli companies with which the university has ties. They also demand that the university improves its environmental sustainability.
Eviction order
An initial attempt by the university to obtain an eviction order from the Court of First Instance in Ghent failed. However, on Thursday the Court of Appeal gave the protester until 8:30am on Friday to leave the building.
The group of activists does not see its departure from the UGent building as a defeat and intends to continue protesting. "We remain determined and will come back tonight at 6pm with a solidarity march against the university's illegal actions that seek to suppress our movement".