Following urgent advice from Utrecht’s mayor, education unions AOb and FNV have canceled a major demonstration scheduled for Thursday to protest education budget cuts, citing concerns that safety could not be ensured.

According to NOS, Utrecht’s trialogue team received “concrete information from outside the city” that a pro-Palestine organization was planning to “hijack” the demonstration. A letter from mayor Sharon Dijksma to the city council reportedly warned that “violence could not be ruled out” if this occurred.

Unions AOb and FNV described the cancellation as “terrible, as all those students, teachers, and staff who wanted to take action tomorrow will now not be able to have their voices heard.” Abdelkader Karbache, head of the Dutch national student union (LSVb), expressed disappointment but noted that few alternatives were available. “The city would have banned the demonstration anyway,” he said.

Largest Demonstration in Higher Education History

At least hundreds of protesters were expected to travel from Nijmegen to Utrecht. According to the advocacy group WOinActie, the demonstration was on track to be “the largest in higher education history.” The last-minute cancellation, they said, “is incomprehensible. The right to demonstrate is a fundamental right that should not be taken lightly.” The group is now exploring alternative plans for holding a protest, possibly at a different location.

Daniël Wigboldus, president of Radboud University’s executive board, was also planning to join the protest in Utrecht. “While I understand that the demonstration cannot go forward under these circumstances, it is still very disappointing. The message remains that research and education form the foundation for the future of the Netherlands.”

Serious Concerns

Mayor Dijksma expressed regret about the cancellation, stating, “I am deeply concerned that, at a time when the right to free expression is so valuable, there are those who would take away that freedom from others through threats of violence.”

Update 20:00: Due to the cancellation of the demonstration in Utrecht, WOinActie will organise a walkout and meeting tomorrow at 13:00 on the Nijmegen campus. Details will be announced later.