To Martin van Hees, AUC Dean 

We are writing to you as lecturers at AUC out of deep concern regarding the escalation of AUC’s response to the recent student protests.

We demand that AUC stop calling on the police out of concern for the safety of students to whom we have a duty of care. The criminalisation of protest actions does not foster a healthy and safe learning space, and is not aligned with our values as educators. 

The disciplinary actions taken against six student protestors earlier in March is similarly troubling, and was highly controversial. We call on you to rescind these sanctions. This will show your willingness to de-escalate the situation at AUC. 

MT has to commit to initiating a policy review, and to fostering space for students and teachers to organize their own teach-ins, public lectures and events around this topic and other current issues (as is done at the UvA). We need to support our students who respond to atrocities, oppression and inequality and give them both the time and space to do so safely on campus. 

At this point it is clear beyond doubt that the heavy-handed approach has failed. It also had a chilling effect on our sense of safety and integrity as lecturers. Many fear that criticism will result in intimidation, retaliation, or disciplinary actions against us as employees. These fears have, for months, curtailed our ability to raise concerns.

We note that you have been initiating closed faculty meetings and open door policy, yet for weeks no actions were taken to heed any of the concerns raised about the us vs. them disciplinary approach. We want to work together with our students in a space of trust, not in a space of fear. 

We implore you to change course, abandon the failed aggressive response, return to negotiations with student protestors, and establish a plan supported by students and staff to amend our damaged community relations.

Yours sincerely,

1. Hilla Dayan, AUC Social Sciences
2. Sidra Shahid, AUC Academic Core
3. Anne de Graaf, AUC Social Sciences
4. Scott Dalby, AUC Academic Core and Social Sciences
5. Lara Mazurski, AUC Humanities
6. Daniel Pinéu, AUC Social Sciences
7. Dawn Skorczewski, AUC Humanities
8. Sára Gutvill, AUC Academic Core and Humanities
9. Mariëtte Willemsen, AUC Humanities
10. Nosa Imaghodo, AUC Academic Core
11. Misha Velthuis, AUC Sciences
12. Marco de Waard, AUC Humanities
13. Alexandra Brown, AUC Humanities
14. Belén Arias García, AUC Academic Core
15. Christina Buckley, AUC Academic Core & Humanities
16. Otto Spijkers, AUC Humanities
17. Mona Hegazy, AUC Academic Core and UvA
18. Younes Saramifar, AUC Social Sciences and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
19. Lisa Ausic, AUC Social Sciences and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
20. Lydia Kollyri, AUC Humanities and UvA Media Studies
21. Jacob Engelberg, AUC Humanities and UvA Media Studies
22. Marissa Willcox, AUC Humanities and UvA Media Studies
23. Sjoerd Kluiving, AUC Sciences and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
24. Alexandra Greene, AUC Academic Core and VU Amsterdam
25. Aleeha Ali, AUC Social Sciences and VU Amsterdam
26. Wim Manuhutu, AUC Humanities and VU Amsterdam
27. Yiorgos-Evgenios Douliakas, AUC Academic Core and UvA

In support from beyond AUC:

1. Anne Schmitz , VU Student
2. Peyman Jafari, former AUC lecturer and current William and Mary Ass. Professor
3. Marthe Wens, VUA
4. Eileen Velthuis, UvA alumnus
5. Biljana Volchevska, Utrecht University
6. Clemens Kaupa, VU Amsterdam
7. Sneha Gaddam, UvA Economics and Business Economics
8. Ameena Kaddoura, UM Alumni
9. Léa Besnard, Maastricht University student
10. Erella Grassiani, UvA Anthropology
    
11. Sruti Bala, Associate Professor Theatre Studies, UvA
12. Yolande Jansen, UvA Philosophy and VU Relgion and Theology
13. Marina Tulin, Assistant Professor UvA
14. Sarah Bracke, UvA Social Sciences
15. Nermin Elsherif, Utrecht University
    
16. Gwen van der Wijk, Maastricht University
17. Ola Elkamhawy, Alumni German University in Cairo
    
18. Anissa Pelouto, MD, Erasmus MC
19. Anya Topolski, Radboud University
20. Sam Hamer, UvA Sociology
21. Miriam Meissner, Maastricht University
22. Annelies Moors Prof.em. University of Amsterdam
    
23. Valentina Carraro, University of Amsterdam
24. Jef Ausloos - UvA law school
25. Brigitte Le Normand, Maastricht University
26. Jesse van Schaik, student at UvA
27. Mikki Stelder, Assistant Professor Cultural Studies, University of Amsterdam (former lecturer AUC)
28. Kazjin Mohammed, Gemeente Maastricht
29. Rahma Bavelaar, Hogeschool Leiden
30. Noah Pellikaan, Chair of the Central Student Counil, UvA
31. Clara Gatius, Nikhef (National Institute for Subatomic Physics)
32. Kavel Ozturk, UvA, Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies
33. Maanvi Khurana, UvA Media Studies
34. Rebecca Franco, UvA sociology
35. Faisal Hamadah, Assistant Professor, Maastricht University
36. Rébecca Franco, UvA Sociology and AUC alumnus
37. Valentina Mazzucato Professor Globalisation & Development, Maastricht University
38. Erica Biolchini, University of Amsterdam
39. Chiara De Cesari, University of Amsterdam
40. Gianmaria Colpani, Utrecht University
41. Esther Jansen, Utrecht University, PhD
42. Layal Ftouni, assistant professor, Utrecht university
43. Raoni Saleh, alumni UvA
44. Halbe Kuipers, University of Amsterdam
45. Agustín Ferrari Braun, PhD researcher at the UvA
46. Julie McBrien, UvA Anthropology
47. Kathrine van den Bogert, Universiteit Utrecht
48. Wiktor Misiak, student at UvA
49. Melisa Ersoy, UvA Sociology
50. Luca Bertolini, University of Amsterdam
51. Mitchell Esajas, The Black Archives
52. Jill Toh, UvA law
53. Aylin Kuryel, Literary and Cultural Analysis, ASCA
54. Federico Savini, Associate professor, University of Amsterdam
55. Eva Hayward, Utrecht University
56. Naomi Appelman, Law faculty UvA
57. Said Ortega, HIMS (Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences)
58. Alex Lopez, UvA Sociology
59. Emma Brent, UvA alumnus
60. Jenna Levine, UvA alumnus
61. Fredrik Ringholm, International Institute of Social History and University of Amsterdam
62. Carla Kabamba, Amsterdam City Councillor
63. Lotte Metz Postdoc UvA
64. Shivani Kaul, UvA Anthropology
65. Paddy Leerssen, UvA Law School
66. Pierre Jault, BA student Maastricht University
67. Maria Boletsi (Leiden University & University of Amsterdam)
68. Nina Köll, University College Utrecht
69. Markha Valenta, University College Utrecht
70. Eliza Steinbock, Full Professor Dept Literature and Art, Maastricht University (former AUC lecturer)
71. Konstantina Georgelou, UCU and UU Performance Studies
72. Liza Haffenberg, AUC parent
73. Ahmed Abdulmageed, UvA alumnus
74. Sinin Nakhle, UvA Humanities
75. Corey Wright (University College Utrecht)
76. Magdalena Górska, Assistant Professor, Utrecht University
77. Hendrik de With, UvA Business School
78. Duru Ozkan, VU lecturer
79. Jeroen Fabius, Amsterdam University for the Arts
80. Laura Cull Ó Maoilearca, AHK
81. Jamil Fiorino-Habib (Lecturer, Media Studies, University of Amsterdam)
82. Bojana Mldenovic, artistic director SNDO- School for New Dance Development, Amsterdam University of the Arts
83. Zulaicha Gafoer (rechtenstudent HU)
84. Rajni Shah, AHK
85. Jean-Nicolas Vander Heyden LUC Student
86. Iqra Anugrah, International Institute for Asian Studies, Leiden University