Police Tried To Catch This Dutch Pro-Palestine Protester But He Escaped In The Most Original Way
"From the canal to the sea, Palestine will be free."
A Dutch pro-Palestine protester in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, jumped into a canal to escape from police who were cracking down on a student protest at the University of Amsterdam.
A video by Amsterdam news outlet AT5 circulating on social media showed the protester, who was wearing a keffiyeh, trying to stop a police bulldozer from removing a barricade before a police officer tried to approach him with a shield and baton.
The protester then runs away, jumps into the canal and starts swimming to the other side to escape.
A wave of student protests, sit-ins and actions have erupted at universities throughout Europe against Israel’s war in Gaza.
Students and staff occupied a small space at the University of Amsterdam, gathering on a lawn in a peaceful protest against Israel’s assault on Gaza and the university’s complicity in Israel’s ongoing military operations.
However, the protest turned violent when riot police stormed and cleared the encampment, beating and dragging some of the protesters, as well as using a bulldozer to knock down barricades and arresting at least 169 students.
The Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, said on X that the protests had crossed a line, describing them as a “form of anti-Semitism that we must continue to fight loudly and clearly.”
The university released a statement saying that the peaceful protest had turned violent with beatings, fireworks and an Israeli flag burned.
“We deeply regret that things went the way they did. Demonstrating is permitted at the UvA, but without covered faces, barricades or an atmosphere of intimidation,” it said.
Amsterdam Police said on X, they had to act to stop the event on Monday and dismantle tents due to safety risks.
Police said the protesters had disregarded the university’s and the mayor’s requests to leave the campus.
Flavie Chen
Isha Jain
