SAR’s Academic Freedom Monitoring Project investigates and reports attacks on higher education with the aim of raising awareness, generating advocacy, and increasing protection for scholars, students, and academic communities. Starting July 1, 2026, SAR no longer publishes reports for the incidents that it records. SAR continues to monitor and record incidents that will be used in the annual Free to Think report. This page provides a record of incidents reported up to that date. Learn more about the Academic Freedom Monitoring Project.

Date of Incident: April 13, 2024

Attack Types: Other

Institution(s):University of Groningen

Region & Country:Europe | Netherlands

New or Ongoing:New Incident

On April 13, 2024, unknown individuals painted graffiti on the facade of the University of Groningen’s Academy building, the walls of the Röling Building (Faculty of Law) and the university’s library

The slogans included pro-Palestinian messages, such as ‘UG supports Genocide’, ‘From the river to the sea’, and ‘complicit.’ The university was previously painted with similar slogans and its windows broken in December 2023 (see report).

Scholars at Risk is concerned with the intentional vandalization of a university building. Such acts erode the right to education, and diminish everyone’s access to a safe, free and open university space. State and de facto authorities should take all reasonable measures to prevent and respond to such incidents, including ensuring campus security and conducting prompt and thorough investigations, as appropriate.

Sources:
https://northerntimes.nl/groningen-academy-building-defaced-with-pro-palestine-slogans/
https://ukrant.nl/academy-building-and-ub-vandalised-with-pro-palestine-slogans/?lang=en
https://mobile.x.com/univgroningen/status/1779052629097648447