No more tent camps and sock protests: Students against the Occupation evicted by the police

Students Against the Occupation were removed by the police from South Campus late evening on Tuesday 3 December, after they had been staying there — around-the-clock — for one week.

This follows a period in which students were repeatedly asked to leave the area and take down all content related to their pro-Palestinian activism.

The eviction is based on the fact that students have been breaking University of Copenhagen (UCPH) rules of conduct for a long period of time. But according to the student organisation, it is unclear exactly what rule it is they have broken.

READ ALSO: No more patience from UCPH management: Some students can demonstrate, some can not

»Late Tuesday night, the police showed up and told us to leave campus. We couldn’t get a reason why we weren’t allowed to be there, so we chose to stay, even though the police told us to go. Instead, they began to remove us by force, and using painful holds on us. It was so violent that I started bleeding from my knee,« says Isaac Ross Twomey-Madsen, who studies comparative literature and is active in Students Against the Occupation. He continues:

»For the past week, we have been out here in shifts, around-the-clock. There have been two or three night shifts – who have not slept there, but just been present. And then we’ve been about 20 people in the daytime.«

Monday evening 2 December students were handed a note by a security guard on campus. There was no author specified on the note. »Like something out of Paradise Hotel,« says Isaac Ross Twomey-Madsen, explaining that the letter was written on UCPH logo-ed paper and contained a text listing the rules of conduct that apply to activism.

Management: We are not restricting freedom of expression

It listed sections 1 and 2 of the regulations, which require students to act considerately and properly towards fellow students and staff, and that students comply with instructions and orders issued by employees.

In addition, a number of points were added to the letter, stating that you are not allowed to stay overnight on campus, that demonstrations must be reported to Campus Service, that the hanging of materials on campus must be study-relevant, and that you must not exhibit harassing or threatening behaviour on campus.

You might get the impression from the debate on the University Post that UCPH management is putting limits on certain statements by enforcing the regulations. But this is not the case

Henrik C. Wegener, Rector

The University Post has seen the letter and asked management to specify which rules are being broken, as they are not clearly specified. Management replies that the hanging of materials applies in general to section 2 of the guidelines, and that there are special rules for using rooms for student political purposes. Demonstrations are not mentioned.

The University Post has also asked whether there are opening and closing hours for when students are allowed to stay on campus. Management replies that students are welcome to use the reading rooms after 5pm and that there may be Friday bars or similar events that allow access in accordance with specific agreements. Henrik C. Wegener also comments on the process with a written quote:

»The group has repeatedly been made aware of the framework for demonstrations – including that you cannot use the premises as a campsite and stay overnight. UCPH have safety rules and a code of conduct to ensure a good working and study environment. The rules are available for everyone to see and apply regardless of what you demonstrate for, or against,« he writes and continues:

»We are now investigating whether, or which, disciplinary proceedings should be set in motion. You might get the impression from the debate on the University Post that UCPH management is putting limits on certain statements by enforcing the regulations. But this is not the case. The safeguarding of our study and working environment is, on the contrary, what lets different opinions be expressed and discussed freely.«

Police removed students

According to Students Against the Occupation, this cannot justify the treatment they received last night:

»We think it seems like they’ve invented new rules just to find an excuse to have us removed,« says Isaac Ross Twomey-Madsen.

Since the students started their indoor tent camp 26 November, it has evolved into a more fluid presence, according to Isaac Ross Twomey-Madsen. They have not used megaphones, made any noise, or otherwise bothered other students and staff.

»We’ve even moved away from the canteen itself, so we were less in the way. Our presence has consisted of a study area with books about Palestine, a few tents with the rector’s name on it, socks, and some flags and banners,« he says.

One hour after the students received the letter, they were told that they had to pack up and leave. But the students did not, and the action continued for a further day.

We think it seems like they’ve invented new rules just to find an excuse to have us removed

Isaac Ross Twomey-Madsen, student

Tuesday evening the students received a visit from the UCPH safety head, who told them that all their materials – including their tents – were a fire hazard.

The students then started to treat their tents with fire retardant, and when they were told that this was not good enough, they put on their tents and banners as their clothing.

A couple of the students started reading up from the Danish-language poem ‘I’m angry’  from ‘Writers for a Free Palestine’ to the safety head and three security guards who had turned up, says Tarek Ziad Choheiber, a student of psychology who is also active in Students Against the Occupation.

»Suddenly, out of the blue, about 15 policemen showed up. They said we had five minutes to leave the area. We didn’t understand why we didn’t have the right to be there when we were just a group of students reading out poetry,« he says.

The students refused to leave the area, and the police forcibly removed the students. Isaac Ross Twomey-Madsen and several other students – who had demonstrated in socks – were evicted without their shoes. All the students present were asked to give their names to the police.

The students went home, and when they got back on campus, the camp had been cleared.

»Snacks, books, socks. It was all gone,« says Isaac Ross Twomey-Madsen.

Continues the fight for an academic boycott

According to both Isaac Ross Twomey-Madsen and Tarek Ziad Choheiber, the students are now figuring out what the next step should be.

»People are a bit affected by it, because it was very intense to be evicted by the police like that. We know we’re going to continue, but we just need to figure out how,« says Isaac Ross Twomey-Madsen.

What are you getting out of doing these actions?

It is impossible to separate the external from the internal, because they are connected. If Ukraine is an internal affair, so is Palestine

Tarek Ziad Choheiber, student

 

»I think we’re creating a lot of information about what’s going on in Gaza and how UCPH is involved in it. There are many people – both staff and students – who have come up to us in the course of these days and said that they did not actually know that UCPH is cooperating with Israeli universities, and what the problems are with this,« says Tarek Ziad Choheiber.

Do you believe that management will concede to your demand for an academic boycott of Israel?

»Yes. Otherwise, we would not stand here and continue. We have managed to establish that UCPH can choose to do so if they want to – even if the Danish government might not like it. We hope that our actions can convince the key people that an academic boycott is the right thing to do,« says Tarek Ziad Choheiber.

Does rector have a point when he says that you »without a sense of proportion, bring in external political issues to the university«?

»No, because this is also an internal matter. UCPH collaborates with a number of Israeli universities that are involved in developing doctrines that underpin Israeli warfare, and in some cases even operate on occupied Palestinian land,« says Tarek Ziad Choheiber, referring to Hebrew University, which the University Post has previously covered.

»It is impossible to separate the external from the internal, because they are connected. If Ukraine is an internal affair, so is Palestine«.