UvA Paletine Protests: An Analysis of Digital Presence and Surveillance during the Eviction

On Wednesday evening, pro-Palestinian activists were forcibly removed from the Binnengasthuis grounds of the University of Amsterdam (UvA). The police removed the demonstrators one by one, leading them towards Rokin where a large group of protestors had already gathered. The area around the site showed signs of devastation, with paving stones and pallets scattered everywhere from the barricades built by the demonstrators. Walls were defaced with slogans such as “Free Palestine”.

The situation resulted in chaos, with various search engine results and advertisements popping up related to keywords such as Bm7123, Google Ads, and international news. These search results reflected a mix of information and advertisements across different platforms, highlighting the ongoing digital presence of various businesses and entities amidst the real-world events happening in Amsterdam.

Amnesty International had a team of observers present since 4:30 pm to collect data, images, and information about the protest and the subsequent eviction. A spokesperson stated, “We do this to have factual information for discussions with the local authorities. The police provided us with sufficient space to perform our tasks.”

Most of the demonstrators wore face masks or scarves to avoid being recognized. Despite this effort to remain anonymous, Amnesty International was able to gather enough evidence to provide accurate accounts of what happened on that night at UvA’s grounds.