600 staff from Danish universities come out in support of student action

Staff from a number of Danish universities are in support of the recent student actions and their demands to the University of Copenhagen management.

600 university employees [Friday 13 September, this number had increased to 752, ed.] — mostly from the University of Copenhagen — have put their names on an open petition published on the Danish media site Information 11 September with the headline We support student actions and their demand for an academic boycott of Israel.

»We, employees of Danish universities, including KU, would like to express our complete support of the students, both regarding their mode of action and the cause they defend,« the employees write.

They include references to the 4 September action when the organization Students against the Occupation occupied and blockaded the University of Copenhagen Museum Building off Frue Plads square, where the rector’s office is located.

The students had not been in the building for long before the police were called in and arrived with automatic weapons and police dogs to throw the students out.

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»Never in the history of this university have we seen such brutal repression of social movements, including during the various long blockades that happened in the past,« the employees write. They »condemn the management’s statement that »disciplinary action will follow,« as prorector Kristian C. Lauta announced shortly after the 4 September action.

The employees demand that all sanctions against the students be withdrawn, that the police are not involved in peaceful student actions in the future, and that all Danish universities join an academic boycott of all Israeli universities.