The protest in front of the Junushoff theatre. Photos: Daphne Schoop With the elections coming up, support for the student loan system is waning. Students decided to feed the flames with new creative protests. The built rickety towers and wandered the city dresses as ‘ghosts of debt’.
The protests are an initiative of youth organisations and student unions, including FNV Young & United and the National Student Union. Under the hashtag #notmydebt (in Dutch, the word for debt and fault are the same), students have been campaigning (links to Dutch content) against high student debts. The unions want students who work 12 hours a week, to be able to graduate free of debt.
Shaky future
The protest actions started in Wageningen today. Students built a massive tower out of boxes in front of the Junushoff, which they then proceeded to dismantle by removing one box at a time – in line with the rules of the popular game Jenga – without allowing the tower to collapse.
This symbolises the ‘shaky future’ of the current generation of students. ‘Building blocks such as affordable rent, being able to mortgage a house, freedom to choose your curriculum, room for personal development, and starting your life free of debt’, FNV Young chair Bas van Weegberg sums up. ‘All have been thwarted by the loan system.’
The protest action was in interactive one: passers-by were encouraged to join the game. In keeping with the corona directives, only four students built the tower.
Haunt
Additional protests have been planned for this week. During Halloween, the protesters will don sheets and paint on Thursday. Disguised as ghosts, they will haunt Amsterdam.
Many students face serious debts, LSVb-chair Lyle Muns says. ‘Because students will be paying off their loans until their retirement, the debt haunts them like a ghost.’
On Friday, the student ghosts move to Groningen, and Monday they will haunt Utrecht.
New student grant
Meanwhile, the majority of the political parties have disengaged themselves from the loan system. Only the VVD still appears to support (links to Dutch content) the system. D66, ChristenUnie, GroenLinks, PvdA and SP, among others, have already indicated (links to Dutch content) they are in favour of a new system, although their plans vary greatly.