Radical ideology - Instruction to occupy university building; institute plans prompt reopening.
On several floors of the institute building, walls, doors, and even offices have been vandalized. The fourth floor seems to be the most affected by this damage, as it had been used as a hiding spot by the occupiers. No estimate of the damage has been made yet, but the institute's spokesperson has confirmed that they have filed a criminal complaint.
The ground floor seminar rooms were unoccupied during the action, so they remained unscathed. The teaching activities have been shifted online or to other locations since Friday.
On Wednesday, Palestinian activists took over some rooms in the university, protesting against Israel and expressing support for Palestinians. The university initially allowed this, focusing on engaging in dialogue with the protesters and promoting academic freedom. However, by Thursday evening, the police had cleared the building.
The university has spoken out against the defacement of their walls with graffiti. A report in "Welt" suggested that employees were forbidden to take photos of the graffiti, a decision explained by Vaillant as being largely about employee safety. "We bewail the slogans that were sprayed on the institute's walls and do not wish to aid in the further spread of the antisemitic and unlawful content stenciled on the walls and doors," Vaillant said. Vaillant also added that the sharing of personal or private information should be prevented.
The red triangle, a symbol often used by Hamas, had been spray-painted multiple times on the walls. The university had promised to report the use of this symbol to the proper authorities.
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- The incident at Humboldt University in Berlin sparked discussions regarding extremism in academic institutions, with some social science faculty expressing concern about the rise of such ideologies.
- German Press Agency reported that Palestinian activists had occupied university buildings in various German cities, citing extremism as a primary motivator for these actions in the Palestinian territories.
- The university administration strongly condemned the use of symbols like the red triangle, often associated with extremist groups like Hamas, and pledged to cooperate with authorities to combat the spread of such ideologies.
- In response to the events at Humboldt University, Israeli universities have increased their security measures, citing concerns about rising extremism in academic settings and its potential impact on the peaceful coexistence of diverse perspectives in social science research.
Source: www.stern.de
