Jewish student association event thwarted
With great regret, Maastricht University has had to decide that an event organised by a student association for Jewish students, which was scheduled to take place this evening in a university building, could not take place. Because of online calls from both supporters and opponents of the event, aimed at mobilising large numbers of people, UM could no longer guarantee a safe environment.
Maastricht University had made a room available to the student association for an event featuring a UM lecturer as speaker. Various pro-Palestinian groups announced that they intended to prevent the event from taking place. Additionally, information about the lecturer involved was shared online in an unacceptable manner. In response to the calls to disrupt the event, a pro-Israeli organisation (not the UM student association organising the event) in turn posted a call on social media urging people to come to Maastricht.
It was this combination of online calls that created too much uncertainty surrounding the safety of the event. UM therefore proposed holding the event online instead. After considering this option, the organising student association decided not to proceed.
Maastricht University deeply regrets the online calls. Student associations can request the use of university facilities for their own events. Naturally, these events must also comply with the values upheld by UM. We do not permit activities that are discriminatory, incite hatred or are otherwise unlawful.
Events for which safety and public order cannot be adequately guaranteed are also not permitted. As the owner of the buildings, we of course have a responsibility to do everything possible to ensure the safety of the people who use them.
Today, the uncertainty surrounding that safety became too great. This was not due to the content of the event itself, but rather to an accumulation of risks. First, due to the announcements by others to prevent the event from taking place, thereby restricting academic freedom, followed by a counter-reaction and calls for people to ‘come to Maastricht’.
We have done everything we can, and will continue to do so, to defend and make room for both academic freedom and the right to protest. However, the signs and posts on social media indicate that there are people that are intent on undermining these principles. That is where we draw the line. The consequence that this has made debate impossible is a defeat. We deeply regret that members of our Jewish-Israeli community are having to face this situation.
The university is at its best when it serves as a place for robust disagreement and critical questioning. These are fundamental to academia. As is academic freedom, which provides researchers with the space to present their findings, and the public with the right to assess those ideas for themselves. We find it unacceptable that anyone, whether from within or outside our community, should call for academic debate to be silenced.