Students at her university Ghent (UGent) occupied part of it on Monday morning and are calling on the board to cut ties with Israel and make stronger commitments to the green transition, according to Belgian media. The student organizations “End Fossil Ghent” and “Ghent Students for Palestine” have joined forces to protest what they see as “hypocrisy” by the university in terms of both human rights and sustainability, the reports point out.

In a letter sent to Board of Directors on April 24the signatories asked the institution to outline two “time-bound action plans”: one detailing plans to “cease all cooperation with Israeli institutions” and another setting out “effective and binding action to implement the plans transition [του πανεπιστημίου] in 2030”.

It is noted that more than 300 students and employees of Ghent University, including about 25 professors, support the occupation. The board did not respond to their demands until Friday, May 3, and as a result the campus occupation began today, Monday.