Blowing the whistle on the government cuts
Hundreds of students and staff from Leiden University gave a ‘whistle concert’ on 11 December against the planned cuts to higher education. Similar protests were held in other student cities on the same day.
Read the reponse from the Executive Board to the education budget on which the coalition parties reached an agreement on 11 December with some of the opposition parties in the House of Representatives.
The House of Representatives will vote on 12 December about the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science’s budget, as will the Senate a week later. Although the planned cuts to education have been scaled back in the lastest coalition proposal, huge cuts will still be made to higher education, research and innovation. Reason enough for WOinActie to hold another national protest.
Once again the red protest flags flew from university buildings in Leiden and The Hague. In Leiden, students and staff gathered at Cleveringaplaats by the Faculty of Humanities and in front of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences building, Pieter de la Court. With an ear-piercing whistle concert, they made it clear to politicians in The Hague: ‘Don’t do it!’
President of the Executive Board, Annetje Ottow, said she hopes the whole country will realise how important higher education and research are for our well-being and prosperity.
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Annetje Ottow whistled her disapproval with other demonstrators -
Red protest flags flew from university buildings in Leiden and The Hague -
Jenneke van der Wal reads the speech given at all universities
Read the speech given by Jenneke van der Wal (Humanities) and Arthur Pormes (ICLON) in Leiden and all other universities during the protest.
Check out the Executive Board blog for updates about the cuts.