Professor of Sociology at the University of Amsterdam, Sarah Bracke, spoke to Al Jazeera about the student and staff protests against Israel’s onslaught on Gaza in the Netherlands.

She said the staff at three higher education institutions in Amsterdam witnessed police “violently” attempting to disperse a peaceful student encampment last Monday.

She said the staff today are protesting as they want to end the university’s complicity in “the ongoing genocide” in Gaza, but also want to call out the violent methods that police have used to suppress peaceful protests.

She also noted that there were Jewish staff and student protesters beaten by police despite the educational institutions claiming that police are needed to protect the safety of Jewish students on campus.