Lijst Bèta has noted the recent protests at UvA & UU, and the continuing escalation of the conflict in Gaza. Therefore, we share our three focus points around this topic in this statement.

Showing and expecting solidarity to peaceful protests and events :

We as Lijst Bèta would like to express our support and solidarity for peaceful protests on campus, particularly given the current focus on advocating for Palestine. We firmly uphold the belief that every student has the right to freedom of speech, ensuring a safe environment for all voices to be heard on campus. For this safe environment, no violence should occur. This includes ensuring that peaceful protests are met with understanding and support, rather than punitive measures. 

Transparency on TU Delft collaborations concerning arms trade:

In recent years, Lijst Bèta has advocated for transparency and ethical conduct at the TU Delft, particularly concerning fossil fuel companies. We aim to expand our focus and explain our vision.

The TU Delft needs to release a list of all collaborations involving the arms industries and fossil fuel companies. In light of the current global unrest, we believe it is imperative to include Israeli and Russian organisations in this list. This will serve as an initial step towards addressing collaborations amid ongoing conflicts.

This allows students to recognise potentially unethical collaborations, allowing us to open the discussion on continuing such ties. We as Lijst Bèta are critically looking at the collaborations the TU Delft currently has regarding Gaza, where it was recently concluded there are reasonable grounds that genocide is committed in Gaza [1].

Statement from the Executive Board

Lijst Bèta will put this topic on the agenda for the next internal meeting of the student council on the 15th of May, so that it can be discussed during the coming OV with the Executive Board on the 22nd of May. The Executive Board should address the situation in Gaza and make sure to take concrete measures to prevent antisemitism and islamophobia and all other forms of hate and discrimination on campus.


Closing
We emphasise the importance of ongoing dialogue and engagement with students, faculty and external partners.

[1] United Nations. (n.d.). NGO action news – 28 march 2024 – question of Palestine. United Nations. https://www.un.org/unispal/document/ngo-action-news-28-march-2024/#:~:text=On%2026%20March%2C%20Amnesty%20International,commission%20of%20genocide%20is%20met%E2%80%9D.