This time no occupation of the Academy building, but a demonstration to declare solidarity. Students and lecturers come together at the Academy Building, for social safety and the return of dismissed lecturer Susanne Täuber. What do they think should be done for this? The departure of the Executive Board.
At twelve o’clock the Broerplein is gradually filling up with teachers and students. Flyers with images of the occupation and information about the union are distributed. Protest signs are held in the air, written on them ‘ trust the students ‘ or ‘ apology ‘.
The stairs in front of the Academy Building form the stage for the action. A RUG PhD candidate (who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals) speaks on behalf of Casual Groningen. He questions the actions of the board, which was not reluctant to call the police.
According to him, there is only one thing the board can do to achieve the above goals: resign. He is not alone in this. Any speaker who speaks at the top of the stairs can count on thunderous applause from the protesting masses.
Occupation Academy building
It is not the first and certainly not the last meeting devoted to social safety. Lately things have been rumbling more often at the University of Groningen. This time, students, staff and lecturers will gather in front of the Academy Building. They disapprove of the ‘verbal and physical violence’ of the police, who on April 25 cracked down on a student occupation of about fifty students.
The face of a young student was pressed to the floor by officers. “I could hardly breathe, while the officer shouted ‘act normal’,” she says. Way too heavy-handed, in her opinion. These events prompted the demonstration two weeks later, emphatically peaceful.
#OrganizetheRUG
The action group #OrganizetheRUG originated from the union of university employees, Casual Groningen. Casual Groningen and #OrganizetheRUG have the so-called solidarity rally organized Tuesday afternoon. So show solidarity. Goal? Social security at the university and reversing the dismissal of associate professor Susanne Täuber.
The packed square chants: ‘No justice, no peace. No Jouke deVries’. De Vries is chairman of the Board of Directors.
Social security as a PR campaign
Several university lecturers are hesitant to tell their story to this newspaper, for fear of the consequences. She fear being fired if they speak out during the protest. “We all know what happened to Susanne Täuber,” it sounds.
It’s actually too crazy for words that we can’t speak with our name, says a university lecturer. “Is that academic freedom?” she wonders. A list of examples where colleagues have been approached follows: for posting a tweet, putting up a poster or speaking out about Susanne Täuber. “Social security shouldn’t just be a PR campaign. The institutional structure, the university, must take responsibility.”