Belgian, Dutch students join international Gaza protest wave

AMSTERDAM/BRUSSELS - Students in Belgium and the Netherlands occupied parts of the universities of Ghent and Amsterdam on Monday to protest against Israel's war in Gaza, joining international student protests that started on US campuses.

A spokeswoman for Belgium's UGent, the University of Ghent, said there were some 100 students occupying parts of the university, confirming earlier reports in local media.

She added that the students had said the protest will last until Wednesday, May 8th.

UGent did not approve the students' protest request, but several UGent employees and professors have signed an open letter supporting the protest and condemning the university's decision to continue its relationship with Israel.

In the Netherlands, students occupied an area of the University of Amsterdam (UvA) asking both UvA and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) to stop its economic and academic partnerships with Israel, local media reported.

Neither UvA nor VU immediately replied to a request for comment.