At the University of Copenhagen, a protest camp established on Monday has now reached its second day. Students have set up about 40-50 tents and declare that they will stay on the university’s premises until their demands are met. The protest, organized by the movement Students Against Occupation, demands that the university recognizes and condemns what they describe as an ongoing genocide. Additionally, they call for full financial transparency in the university’s investments and an end to cooperation with Israeli academic institutions. Magnus Munk, one of the students and co-organizers, says they have had meetings with the university leadership but do not feel their concerns have been taken seriously. “We intend to stay here until we get something through,” he says. The University of Copenhagen has stated on social media that as an institution, they will not take a stand on the conflict in Gaza and emphasize that the university’s researchers have academic freedom under the current government’s guidelines.
The protest in Denmark is inspired by similar demonstrations at American universities, where there have been violent clashes between students and police. So far, the situation in Copenhagen has been peaceful, and Magnus Munk hopes it will continue to be so. “We do not want anyone to feel intimidated. It is not them we are after. It is the board and the university,” he says, adding that they have had Jewish students in the camp who have not felt unsafe in the situation. The university and the students are facing ongoing dialogue, with the final outcome still uncertain.