Monday, 25 November: National protest against budget cuts in Den Haag

Dear early-career researchers,

The national demonstration against the budget cuts in Dutch higher education that was going to be held in Utrecht last week but was canceled by the authorities at the last minute, is now taking place this coming Monday, 25 November, 13h at the Malieveld in Den Haag. The YAG would like to reiterate our earlier call for academic staff, support staff and students to attend the protest if they can.

The fight against the budget cuts is not a lost cause. As you may have read in the news, Dutch parliament recently rejected the cabinet’s plan to increase the VAT on the cultural sector. Furthermore, many MPs (including in the Senate where the government doesn’t have a clear majority) are skeptical about the announced budget cuts in higher education as well. Successful democratic resistance is still a possibility! But it can only achieve its goals if as many citizens as possible stand up and voice their opposition. Each and every one of us that raises their voice counts! A strong presence is paramount for this issue to receive national attention, and in particular, the attention of the Dutch parliament. 

We are aware that there are a range of reasons why colleagues oppose the budget cuts, and we may not always find ourselves in agreement with others’ reasoning or arguments. Universities are places that rightly cherish debate and respectful disagreement. But at this stage it is crucial that we focus on what unites us: our determination to stop the budget cuts and the government’s plans to undermine higher education and research in the Netherlands.

The protest in Den Haag is organized by an alliance of eleven organizations, including labor union organizations WOinActie, AoB and FNV. These organizations are focussed on fighting the budget cuts at the national level. A strong presence is paramount for it to receive national attention. 

We understand that it can be difficult to rearrange work and family duties at short notice. But we hope that many of you will still be able to join us in Den Haag on Monday.

The Board of the Young Academy Groningen,

Lukas Linsi
Marcos Guimaraes
Casper van der Kooi
Naomi de Ruiter