Support from lecturers and no arrests as Spanish students rally for Gaza
Al Jazeera
The police response to Spain’s campus protests has been relatively muted while more than 2,000 academics stand by their university students.
Madrid, Spain – Huge Palestinian flags are hanging on campuses across Spain as thousands of students protest against Israel’s war in Gaza.
Some classes have stopped this week as students demonstrate in Barcelona, Valencia, the Basque Country and Madrid.
Across Europe, similar sit-ins have taken place at universities in the Netherlands, France, the United Kingdom, Finland, Denmark and Germany, as young people join their United States peers who are facing a violent police response.
In Amsterdam, police arrested about 125 activists as they broke up a pro-Palestinian camp at the University of Amsterdam on Tuesday. Dutch police said their action was necessary to “restore order” after protests turned violent. There were no reports of injuries. Footage aired by national broadcaster NOS showed a mechanical digger smashing down barricades and tents.
But in Spain, a country that historically supports the Palestinian cause, police have so far not been involved in trying to break up the protests.
