Belgian police have evicted students occupying a building at the Free University of Brussels (ULB), bringing an end to a protest that had continued for more than two weeks over social conditions, education costs and university policies.
The eviction took place early Saturday, November 7, at the university’s P1 building on the Solbosch campus in Brussels. Students, secondary school pupils and art school students had occupied the premises since October 22 as part of a wider European youth movement highlighting deteriorating social conditions.
The protest was organised by a group calling itself Occupation Autonome ULB, which had transformed the building into a gathering and organising space for students and other social movements. The occupiers also submitted a list of 30 demands to the university, raising concerns about student living conditions, tuition fee increases, university partnerships with Israeli institutions and the arms industry, and the growing financial insecurity of students and staff.
The protesters had renamed the building after Aicha Aboubaia, a Palestinian student from Gaza who reportedly faced difficulties obtaining a Belgian visa. They said their occupation aimed to establish a space where different movements could meet, exchange ideas, organise activities and share resources.
University Rector Annemie Schaus said the administration had attempted to resolve the dispute through negotiations but ultimately failed to reach an agreement with the remaining occupants. The university had issued an ultimatum requiring protesters to leave the building by Thursday, November 5. While most reportedly complied, some continued the occupation.
Schaus accused the remaining protesters of crossing fundamental boundaries, citing vandalism, unauthorised entry into private offices and disruption of university activities. She also condemned hateful graffiti and messages allegedly calling for violence that had appeared on the building’s walls.
Following the failure of negotiations, the university initiated legal proceedings and obtained judicial authorisation for police intervention. The university said the operation was conducted within the legal framework.
The protesting students confirmed the eviction through social media and reported that several activists had been arrested during the police operation. However, the exact number of arrests was not immediately established.
The university said arrangements were being made to secure and restore the building so that normal academic activities could resume as soon as possible.
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The eviction marks the end of another major student occupation at ULB, which witnessed a similar protest in May 2024 when students occupied another campus building in solidarity with Palestinians. That demonstration continued for more than a month before police intervened.
