Protest of November 14th

Democratize academia, protect our democracy!

Through this statement 0.7 fully endorses the coming mass demonstration on the 14th of november in Utrecht. But, there is more that we want to say:

After decades of underfinancing higher education and research, our government plans to deliver a final blow to our sector. This is not just any budget-cut. This is part of a program to dismantle our democratic institutions, similar to the attempt to circumvent parliament, consistent attacks on the free press, attempts to delegitimize and  trim down the right to protest, and the discrediting of judges, international law, and the rule of law in general. Following the fascist playbook, universities are attacked because their role as independent and critical institutions of knowledge is a threat to illiberalism. 

November 14th we march not just for ourselves, but to protest our far right government. We march to show we will not stand by while we see our democratic institutions destroyed. We march to stand for academic freedom, the right to protest and critical thinking. We hope you will march with us, whether you are an academic, student, or a concerned citizen.

What’s more, this will be the start of a 0.7 campaign to organize around the topic of democratization of our institutions and the protection of our open society. A university that is inadequately democratic in itself, a university that lives and breathes by the neoliberal disdain for accountability and expertise and instead drools management speak such as revenue and efficiency, a university that is comfortable with Big Oil and the weapons industry in their high offices, is extremely vulnerable to the far right.

Lets build, and join up as a grass roots and activist movement that aims to 1) democratize Dutch academia, and subsequently 2) connect with other sectors that are envisioned to be democratic pillars, unions, journalists, activists, and fight for our institutions and society. Only as a truly democratic pillar can we resist the illiberal and antidemocratic forces that are at our doorstep, in our streets, and in our government.