Peter Breedveld
CAMPUS
Occupation of the BelleVue building by activists of VU for Palestine, April 9, 2025 a month and a half ago now and still we have heard nothing”, Aysel says. It was VU for Palestine, however, who walked away from the last of a series of meetings with the board months ago. “There was no point in continuing those negotiations”, Sufjan says. “There was no moving forward. We were not listened to and we were not respected.” Floris says some students were “infantilized” and spoken to condescendingly, particularly students of colour. “Some of the things the board and its staff said were racist”, Sufjan states. “Which doesn’t mean that they are racists”, Aysel clarifies. “You can say something racist or act in a racist way but that doesn’t mean you are racist in general.”
Tone policing There was no direct reason for them to call it quits at a given moment. “There were many things that added up”, says Floris. “For starters, we weren’t allowed to call the meetings ‘negotiations’, the board said it was a dialogue”, Aysel adds. “But we had to promise beforehand to not make public what was said during the meetings. What kind of dialogue is that?” According to the three activists, the board policed their tone and choice of words. They wouldn’t accept the term ‘genocide’, they criticized their posts on Instagram and demanded that they be removed or rephrased. The board didn’t want to talk about Palestine. “They were always steering
Executive Board’s reaction
‘Why should we change our language to make people feel comfortable?’
“We are surprised and disappointed by VU for Palestine’s rendition of the conversations that have taken place. We want to take everyone’s experience seriously, but we do not recognize ourselves in how the conversations have been presented, nor in the facts that were discussed. Precisely because we realize how emotional and complex the situation surrounding the war in Gaza is, we have opted for guidance by an independent moderator. In doing so, we wanted to create a safe and equal space in which different perspectives could coexist and be heard. Like the demonstrators, we are very concerned about the war and the gross human rights violations in Gaza. At the same time, we believe that only through open, respectful dialogue, however difficult, can common understanding and lasting change be possible. Even now that the conversation seems to be stalling, we remain prepared for an honest and substantive exchange.” Summer 2025 AD VALVAS magazine | 27