Why does the Public Prosecution Service use this approach?
“The right to demonstrate is a very important right in the Netherlands,” says a spokesperson for the Public Prosecution Service. “We want to affect this as little as possible with criminal law.” The police finally intervened on Wednesday, because there was a breach of the peace. That’s when someone enters somewhere without permission against the will of the owner. The students did not leave despite several requests from the UU.
The spokesperson continues: “Once the students have been removed and are therefore no longer present at the location, the university’s right of residence and disposal is no longer at stake.” Then the right to demonstrate will become more important again, she says.
She also points out that judges did not impose penalties in previous similar cases of peaceful demonstrations without destruction. “If you already know that you are arresting someone who will not be convicted, it is not appropriate to ask for someone’s identity.”