Student Gaza protests in Europe spread, sparking clashes and dozens of arrests

RFI

8 May 2024 at 3:08 am·1-min read

Student protests to demand that universities break ties with Israel over the Gaza war spread across Europe on Tuesday, with police breaking up demonstrations in the Netherlands, Germany and France.

Students at some elite European universities, inspired by ongoing demonstrations at US campuses, have been occupying university halls and facilities, demanding an end to partnerships with Israeli institutions because of Israel's punishing assault on Gaza.

At the University of Amsterdam, images on public broadcaster NOS showed police baton-charging protesters and smashing up tents at around 4am, after they refused to leave the campus.

"The demonstration took on a violent nature because later in the evening massive stones were removed from the ground," police said in a statement.

At Berlin's Free University, police also cleared a demonstration after up to 80 people set up a protest camp in a courtyard of the campus early Tuesday.

Police remove pro-Palestinian students occupying Paris university

The protesters, some of whom wore the keffiyeh scarf that has long been a symbol of the Palestinian cause, sat in front of tents and waved banners.

They later tried to enter rooms and lecture halls and occupy them, according to the university, which said it then called in the police to clear the protest.

Videos on social media showed officers carrying away some protesters.

The Telegraph
The case against Israel has just collapsed
By rights, this should be the moment that the humanitarian case against Israel’s campaign in Gaza goes into terminal collapse. From now on, there can be no equivocation. Those who persist in opposing the war based on the number of civilian casualties are either ignorant or arguing in bad faith. Or both.
The Independent
Trump appears to freeze for 30 seconds on stage during NRA speech
Biden and Trump campaigns continue to trade barbs over accusations candidates are senile
The Telegraph
‘I have never in my lifetime seen as much anger’: how Ireland’s migration system was overwhelmed
Pub landlord Brian Moore, 54, is busy with customers enjoying a late lunch before they head out into the sunshine.
The Daily Beast
Biden Camp Has a Field Day With Wobbly Trump at Podium
XThe Biden campaign gleefully turned one of Donald Trump’s favorite digs against him on Saturday, branding the 78-year-old candidate as woefully geriatric in response to his embarrassing stumble at a Minnesota rally on Friday.Video from the event shared by Biden-Harris HQ on X showed Trump grabbing the lectern during his remarks on stage, after nearly toppling the podium over.A feeble Trump nearly falls down on stage after he leans on his podium too hard and then goes on an angry rant calling hi
INSIDER
Trump's hush money verdict hinges on a single piece of paper. See the most important evidence in the case.
It's called People's Exhibit 35 — and its "Holy @#&!" contents will clinch or crash Donald Trump's hush money case. We walk you through it here.
The Telegraph
Donald Trump’s lawyer fighting to stop former president from testifying in trial next week
Donald Trump’s defence lawyer won plaudits for his aggressive handling this week of Michael Cohen, one of the key witnesses in the ongoing “hush money” case against the former president.
The Daily Beast
Trump Ends NRA Speech With ‘Horror’ Warning Set to Dramatic QAnon Music
Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesDonald Trump followed up his endorsement by the National Rifle Association on Saturday with a speech stoking fears of the government under Joe Biden “coming for your guns,” and a bizarre monologue set to dramatic music resembling a song favored by QAnon.Addressing thousands of members of the NRA at their annual meeting in Texas, the former president stuck to his usual talking points, hailing the reversal of Roe v. Wade as an “amazing thing,” comparing himself to Al Ca
Sky News
Benny Gantz: Israeli war cabinet member threatens to resign if Benjamin Netanyahu doesn't adopt new plan for Gaza
A member of Israel's three-man war cabinet has threatened to resign from the government if it does not adopt a new plan for the war in Gaza. The move by Benny Gantz escalates a divide within Israel's leadership more than seven months into the war. Israel is yet to accomplish its stated goals of dismantling Hamas and returning scores of hostages abducted during the attack on 7 October.
Sky News
Iran president helicopter crash: The 'butcher of Tehran' has a fearsome reputation - and many will be fearing instability
Ebrahim Raisi has been one of Iran's hardest of hardliners, a fanatical and absolute believer in the Iranian revolution and its mission. A man who launched the first direct attack on Israel in his country's history and a hardliner on whose watch hundreds of Iranians have been killed in the brutal repression of recent women-led protests, Mr Raisi has a huge amount of blood on his hands. Mr Raisi has personally been involved in two of the darkest periods of Iranian repression.
The Telegraph
Putin targets German speakers in Russia in search for cannon fodder
Russia has launched a propaganda drive targeting German speakers for its army and Wagner mercenary force in the latest case of Vladimir Putin seeking ethnic minorities to be cannon fodder.
CNN
The phone call that may upend the Trump NY hush money case
Gene Rossi and Leslie Ellis join The Lead
The Telegraph
China is pushing. The Philippine forces are pushing back - with ship-killer missiles
For a country sharing a long and disputed maritime border with China, The Philippines was seriously lacking in military force for protecting that border.
The Telegraph
Chants of ‘intifada revolution’ at pro-Palestinian London protest
Chants of “intifada revolution” rang out and a smoke bomb was set off at a large pro-Palestinian demonstration in central London on Saturday.
The Telegraph
Remainers are incapable of admitting the truth about the EU, and Europe’s shift Right
Suppose that David Cameron had returned from Brussels in February 2016 with something tangible. Perhaps he had acquired the right to deny benefits to new EU immigrants. Or perhaps he had recovered control of fisheries policy. Or maybe Britain had opted out of the EU’s criminal justice system.
The Telegraph
A free Palestine would be a Taliban-like state, says Salman Rushdie
A free Palestine would be a “Taliban-like state,” Salman Rushdie has said.
The Guardian
Home Office in threat to deport disabled man to Nigeria after 38 years in UK
Anthony Olubunmi George, 61, has been refused leave to remain despite living most of his adult life in Britain
Business Insider
Russia is finally getting serious about its war, and it spells trouble for Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin's war machine looks different today than it did at the start of the conflict.
The Daily Beast
Reporter Puts Trump on the Spot Over His 2020 Vow on Minnesota
KSTPIn an interview with a St. Paul, Minnesota reporter that aired a few days before his scheduled appearance Friday at the state GOP Lincoln Day fundraising dinner, former President Donald Trump denied saying that he wouldn’t return to the Midwest state if he lost it in 2020—but the local ABC affiliate brought the receipts to prove otherwise.KSTP reporter Tom Hauser spoke with Trump over a video call conducted Tuesday before the indicted ex-president went to court to hear testimony from his for
Rolling Stone
Stefanik Loses It When Fox News Host Reminds Her She Called Trump a ‘Whack Job’
"It's a disgrace that you would take a New York Times article and just read negative quotes," the congresswoman said to host Shannon Bream
Reuters
Finland to present plan to push back migrants on Russian border
Finland will propose a law next week allowing border agents to block asylum seekers trying to enter from Russia, the prime minister said on Sunday, a decision that could cause Helsinki to temporarily breach its international commitments. Finland shut its border with Russia last year to stop a growing number of arrivals from countries including Syria and Somalia, and accused Moscow of weaponising migration against it and the European Union, an assertion the Kremlin denies. Finland annoyed Russia last year by abandoning its long-held military non-alignment and joining the NATO alliance in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Latest stories