At the University of Copenhagen, a group of students has set up a tent camp as part of a demonstration in support of the Palestinians. This has led to a sharp reaction from Venstre’s (Right-wing political party in Denmark) education spokesperson, Heidi Bank, who calls for the exclusion of the students if their actions lead to the cancellation of classes. The demonstration, which has so far been peaceful, aims to have the university condemn what the demonstrators describe as a genocide of the Palestinians. This is just one of the six demands they are making. According to Emil Nielsen, spokesman for the movement Students against Occupation, they will not leave the university area until all their demands are met. The University of Copenhagen has stated that students are welcome to express their views on university grounds, but has not been willing to meet the demands. The university has also emphasized that their ethical investment policy follows international conventions from the UN and OECD.
Sascha Faxe from Alternativet (political party in Denmark) has visited the demonstrators and described them as “lovely, peaceful activists” on the social media platform X. She supports their demands for a dialogue with the university’s board as well as the withdrawal of investments in companies involved in the occupation of Palestine. The situation at the University of Copenhagen is a reflection of similar events at American universities, where student demonstrations have also led to class cancellations. Venstre’s Heidi Bank believes that such actions should have consequences in the form of exclusion in order to ensure the continuation of education for the majority of students.