Two buses containing UT students and staff have just departed from Enschede Central Station. 85 members of the UT community signed up for the bus trip, while there is room for 120. Other people will most likely take the train to The Hague. There are fewer registrations than at the previous planned protest in Utrecht, says co-organizer Kristy Claassen of Twente for Protest. She is hopeful that today's protest will bring about something in the House of Representatives, which will discuss the budget cuts on Wednesday. 'There is support for this protest from all sides, including from a company like ASML, for example. We hope that this action will help to limit the damage in terms of cutbacks.'
Kristy Claassen, one of the initiators of ‘Twente for Protest’ looked ahead to the Malieveld protest last week. She hopes for a large turnout. 'In The Hague are the people we should be with. The government is breaking down education. Everyone saw our banner with the wrecking ball. That's also how the reality is.'
- A large-scale protest was due to take place in Utrecht on 14 November. Under the flag of ‘Twente for Protest’, hundreds of UT students and employees prepared to travel to Utrecht.
- Due to threats of violence - following turmoil in Amsterdam, that protest was cancelled on the urgent advice of Utrecht mayor Sharon Dijksma.
- Still, a total of some three thousand students and employees of Dutch knowledge institutions came to Utrecht.
- More than 250 UT staff gathered on the O&O square on the same day, before walking a protest march across the campus.
