Pro-Palestine student protests spread to Nordic nations — RT World News
Demonstrators in Sweden, Finland and Denmark are demanding a boycott of Israel due to the war in Gaza
A wave of campus protests across Europe and the United States to express solidarity with Palestinians over the war in Gaza has now reached the Nordic countries, according to media reports.
In Finland, dozens of protesters from the solidarity group Students for Palestine reportedly set up camp outside the main building of the University of Helsinki. They demand that the institution sever ties with Israeli universities, including ending all student exchange and research cooperation agreements.
According to the demonstrators, Israeli universities, especially Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, participated in developing weapons technologies used in Gaza and in training military personnel in cooperation with the Israeli army.
Protesters say Finnish higher education institutes should follow those in Norway, where five universities cut ties with Israel in February. They warned that the demonstration would continue until their demands were met.
In Denmark, students also set up a pro-Palestinian camp at the University of Copenhagen. About 45 tents were reportedly set up on the grass outside the College of Social Sciences campus.
The university said students could protest but called on them to respect the rules on campus. “Seek dialogue, not conflict, and make room for points of view other than your own.” Management reported on X (formerly Twitter).
The pro-Palestine group said its attempts to talk to the administration over the past two years about divestment from Israeli companies were futile.
He added: “We can no longer be satisfied with a cautious dialogue that does not lead to tangible action.” The group stated on its Facebook page.
Pro-Palestinian groups are also expected to hold large demonstrations in Malmö, Sweden's third-largest city, which is set to host the Eurovision Song Contest.
Sweden is reportedly tightening security ahead of the protests, equipping police with bigger weapons and bringing in reinforcement officers from Denmark and Norway.
Demonstrations in Malmö are scheduled for May 9, when Israel will participate in the second Eurovision semi-final, and on May 11, the day of the final. The demonstrators say they will challenge Israel's participation in the contest.
Israeli contestant Eden Golan was asked not to leave her hotel room due to security concerns.
Reports of increasing pro-Palestinian protests come as Israeli tanks entered the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip to stage “Delicate counter-terrorism operation” Against Hamas activists.
Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7 last year, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostage. Israel immediately declared war on the armed group, and has so far killed nearly 35,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
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