When politicians and journalists fail, students and poets save the day.

Yesterday, a protest against budget cuts in education was cancelled, under pressure of the ‘security triangle’. Brave students insisted on protesting anyway and invited everyone to join.

I had some doubts at first, but one of the things that made me go, was a colleague who pointed out the irony of us waiting for government’s approval to protest against that very government… So I went, together with many colleagues, and it was a beautiful, peaceful protests with over 4000 people (mostly students), and many other protests & actions around the country.

The sweet sense of unity and solidarity was mixed with sad signs of division. E.g. some are furious at the labour unions for canceling the protest & consider cancelling their membership. Some people who wish to focus solely on budget cuts blame those who relate it to anti-genocide, and the other way around. Meanwhile, both unions and activists expressed their fury against local government, first in Amsterdam, now in Utrecht, often directed at the female mayors who are members of the Green Left Labour Party, which also happens to be the main political opponent of the current radical right-wing cabinet.

I am no expert on radical right-wing political tactics, but I have learned from experts how central the tactic of division is. When students, university board, local governments, left parties & labour unions direct their anger at each other, I get overwhelmed with a sense of powerlessness, like watching living beings walk straight into a trap. Don’t get me wrong, I’m also deeply disappointed with decisions & discourses of politicians & boards, and we should express our disagreement strongly. But let’s not fall into the trap of getting too distracted in directing our anger at each other; let’s save it for the fight against fascism & radical right-wing stupidity.

One reason people mention to legitimize the cancellation of the protest in Utrecht was “to avoid what happened in Amsterdam”. While I understand that mayors & security triangles face difficult dilemmas & decisions, I really do not understand what a peaceful protest organised by labour unions & academics in Utrecht has to do with “what happened in Amsterdam” around a soccer game with Maccabi hooligans. The best account of “what happened in Amsterdam”, in my opinion, did not come from any politician, journalist or academic, but from poet Nasr Ramsey: https://lnkd.in/e23bpVrr.

Ramsey also emphasises the importance of students who resist & engage in civil disobedience. Like they have been doing around the world, and as they also did yesterday.

Let’s hope students and poets can keep inspiring, moving & challenging us amidst this ongoing series of monumental political clusterfucks.

And join the next big protest on November 25 in The Hague!