Despite last minute government and police guidance suggesting the protest be cancelled due to “safety reasons”, suggesting a possible “hijack” by an external group, students and stakeholders gathered in pockets across the country, with over 4,000 students and staff members congregating in Utrecht for a peaceful protest.

Dutch students, university staff and higher education stakeholders had planned to strike on November 14 in Utrecht, protesting budget cuts to Dutch education. The protest aimed to give voice to the widespread disagreement with government changes to dutch higher education.

With a new date set, a national demonstration has been organised for November 25 in The Hague and will see staff and students uniting to protect higher education.

In a post on LinkedIn, the Hague University of Applied Sciences wrote: “We cannot stress it enough. More than ever, our society needs well-educated, young people who can tackle the complex challenges of our time.

“Nevertheless, the biggest cuts in education and research in recent decades are imminent. This affects the future teachers, nurses and technicians that the Netherlands so desperately needs.”

Protestors are challenging a number of sweeping changes to higher education in the Netherlands. The Schoof cabinet plans a reduction of €1billion euros to the budget for higher education and science – the biggest cut in recent decades.

Furthermore, a new ‘study delay fine’ could increase costs for students. Those delaying or extending their degrees for a variety of reasons will see their tuition fees increased by €3,000.

This follows the announcement of plans to slash international student budgets by €300m, while the Internationalisation in Balance Act aims to reduce international numbers and English-taught programs.

The previous call for strike action was visceral: “If the cuts are not taken off the table, we will call the most disruptive strike in Dutch education ever” said Bens Bod, founder of WO in Actie.

Government and police advised against the the November 14 strike due to the possibility of a a pro-Palestine organisation intending to “hijack” the demonstration.

Many protesters believe, however, that this threat was unsubstantiated, including Ties van den Bogaard of youth organisation ROOD, who noted student unions’ contact with the pro-Palestine movement and shared no such similar concerns to that of government and police.

“We think it is a great pity that the demonstration was initially cancelled and that all universities have withdrawn their support. The atmosphere here is good,” he said.

Thomas Bauwens, assistant professor of collective action for sustainability at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, said the decision to go ahead with the demonstration “is further reinforced by the fact that the alleged safety threats… were both unsubstantiated and not transparently disclosed, raising concerns about potential fear-mongering tactics”.

The protest showed that advocating for education is part of a larger movement to ensure that democratic rights and social equity remain at the heart of our society

Thomas Bauwens, Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University

Speaking to The PIE, Bauwens said: “The gathering underscored a broader commitment to protecting democracy, fostering an inclusive society, and standing against social injustices globally.

“The protest showed that advocating for education is part of a larger movement to ensure that democratic rights and social equity remain at the heart of our society.”