The Amsterdammer | Activist Rudolf Valhoff Arrested After Protest Participation

in ,

He was allegedly mocked by several police officers and sexually harassed.

Rudolf Valkhoff, 65, worked as a History and Philosophy teacher at the University of Amsterdam for 30 years. In 2015, he participated in the Bungehuis and Maagdenhuis occupation during the student protest against the lack of democracy and spending cuts at the university. He was fired a year later, based on “substantive grounds,” according to the university.

The end of his working contract at UvA marked the beginning of his involvement in the rallies to reach, as he describes it, academic freedom. Valkhoff is an active participant of Humanities Rally UvA. Last Friday, he joined “Outraved,” the dance demonstration march around the city alongside the DJs and about 100 students, which ended with his arrest.

The Amsterdammer | UNICEF and Enactus Gala: A Ball with a Point

in

Around 100 merrymakers attended the Winter Charity Gala hosted by the UNICEF Student Team Amsterdam and Enactus VU at CREA Café on Saturday, February 9.

Two board members of the UNICEF Student Team introduce the sponsors of the gala on Saturday evening. Isabel Bonnet / The Amsterdammer

Two board members of the UNICEF Student Team introduce the sponsors of the gala on Saturday evening. Isabel Bonnet / The Amsterdammer

The donations given for the event will be sent directly to a school in Aleppo, Syria. With CREA’s music hall successfully filled for the event, the event raised up to 801€ that evening.

“We feel privileged and lucky that we can contribute to this cause” said Lena Hoffmann, a 22-year-old German PPE student at the VU and the chair of the UNICEF Student Team in Amsterdam. “There’s a lot of things you can do without a lot of means with other organizations.”

The Amsterdammer | ISN Welcomes 850 International Students During Largest Ever Introduction Week

in

Last Wednesday, members of the ISN committees and volunteers welcomed around 500 exchange students to Amsterdam at Schiphol Airport. About 850 students participated from Thursday to Saturday in the Winter Introduction Weekend, or Wintro, which is the largest introduction week ever organized by ISN. Last year, the Wintro received 750 students.

 The three-day event included a canal boat tour, workshops, Dutch crash courses, a sports day at USC, as well as parties in Coco’s Outback, Q-Factory and Radion. The activities aimed to connect international and exchange students upon their arrival in the city.

The Amsterdammer | Photo Story: About 100 Venezuelans Protest for Democracy in Dam Square on Saturday

in

On Saturday, about 100 Venezuelans living in the Netherlands gathered in Dam Square to join the international day of protest for democracy. Organized by the association Multicultureel Viva Venezuela, protesters stood in support for the Interim President of Venezuela, Juan Guaido, and against Nicolas Maduro.

After the Venezuelan protesters took a group picture with the flag, they marched around the Dam Square on Saturday afternoon. Isabel Bonnet / The Amsterdammer

After the Venezuelan protesters took a group picture with the flag, they marched around the Dam Square on Saturday afternoon. Isabel Bonnet / The Amsterdammer

Amsterdam Attracts More Than 10,000 Tourists on National Tulip Day

in

On Saturday, January 19, 2019, Netherlands’ celebrated its eighth National Tulip Day. This year’s celebration saw more than ten thousand tourists and Amsterdam locals gathered in Dam square to pick their own bouquets of flowers. Over 200,000 tulips from colors across the spectrum were available for free, as part of the annual celebration, with the theme “Flower Power,” this year.

The Amsterdammer | Sinterklaas Arrived in Amsterdam on Sunday

in

While Saturday saw 30,000 people celebrating their official arrival in the Netherlands in Zaanstad, 400,000 gathered on Sunday in Amsterdam. “I like to call the other arrivals the ‘fake ones’,” said Pam Evenhuis, spokesperson for Sint in Amsterdam, which organises the Amsterdam event. The arrival of Sinterklaas in Amsterdam is the largest one in the world. However, the main celebration will be on December 5, his birthday, one day before Sinterklaas’ departure.

Isabel-15-1024x683.jpg

Lo que el gobierno le quito a la juventud Venezolana

Una vez más, voy de regreso a Amsterdam después de visitar a mi hermana y a mi mejor amigo, en dos países diferentes. Y me voy furiosa.

Me voy furiosa con el gobierno venezolano. En los días que pase en Colombia y Panamá, vi a una cantidad absurda de venezolanos, con o sin diplomas, cruzando las fronteras y trabajando por menos de $1 al día para poder pagarse algo de comer. Hasta vi un hombre regalar bolívares en la calle, pidiendo sólo algo de comer a cambio.

A todos los que aún se consideran chavistas después de ver como han destrozados el pais, les pido que por favor me borren de su lista de amigos. No los quiero ni en Facebook ni en mi vida. Algo era ser tolerante antes, cuando aún muchos decidían ser ciegos y creer en el gobierno. Antes, cuando éramos niños y no teníamos la culpa de repetir lo que nuestros papás decían.

Les pido que me eliminen porque son aliados de un gobierno corrupto y asesino.

Me han robado mi vida en Venezuela y obligado a crear una nueva lejos de mi familia y mis amigos. Han humillado a una nación completa dejando que se les fueran personas con una educación de oro y hecho que millones huyan de sus tierras para evitar la muerte. Y si, lo dramatizo porque eso es lo que están haciendo. Dejan que los venezolanos se mueran de hambre, de la delincuencia o la falta de medicina.

Me voy molesta, con el gobierno y con ustedes, los que dejaron que llegaran al poder, y se quedaran.

The Amsterdammer | I’m French. Am I a migrant, too ?

in

My grandparents or great grandparents on my mother’s side did not all stay in Venezuela their entire life. My grandfather had Italian origins and studied in both Spain and Mexico. His adoptive mother spoke several languages and had lived in  the Netherlands, Curaçao and Trinidad before going back to Venezuela. They were citizens of the world in a time when traveling was not as common as it is today. On my father’s side, my grandmother had to travel to different countries in Europe during World War II, and kept traveling later in life, when she raised her children with my grandfather around Africa.

The Amsterdammer | Low Participation Rates on this Year’s Student Council Elections

in

June 7, 2018 / The Amsterdammer

The director announced the results of this year’s Student Council elections on May 24 at Maagdenhuis. Every Spring, students from the University of Amsterdam are invited to vote for the new Faculty Student Council and the Central Student Council members. The newly elected council members will commence their positions on September 1st, 2018.

The Amsterdammer | Candy for Signature: ASVA to Send a Letter to the Minister of Education

in

On Thursday afternoon, the ASVA student union offered candies at Roeterseilandcampus in exchange for the signature of a letter addressed to the Minister of Education, Culture and Science, Ingrid van Engelshoven. The initiative was part of the National Action Week, which took action from May 22 to May 25.

Three members of the ASVA student union offer candy in exchange for a signature on Thursday afternoon. Isabel Bonnet / The Amsterdammer

Three members of the ASVA student union offer candy in exchange for a signature on Thursday afternoon. Isabel Bonnet / The Amsterdammer

The Amsterdammer | Going home: it’s not that simple

in

A normal family WhatsApp group spams everyone with jokes, holiday pictures, and maybe some voice-notes, mistakenly sent by their grandmother. Mine essentially consists of political matters, text messages notifying others that there is milk in the supermarket or that electricity is gone. When it’s someone’s birthday, we send voice-notes. When someone is traveling, we send a text message saying we’re boarding the plane. When a newborn joins the family, we send pictures. We are living a virtual family life because our country is facing a terrible situation that has spread us around the world. As a family we are united, but we are physically apart from each other.

The Amsterdammer | Venezuelan elections don’t matter

in

In Venezuela, everything is okay. Or at least, that is what the government keeps repeating to the population. On average, 1 person is murdered every 21 minutes. The average salary is under 10 dollars a month in the black market. Hyperinflation is expected to rise up to 13,000 percent this year. But for the government, most of these numbers are created by American imperialism. Because everything is okay.

Venezuelans protest in Caracas on April 2013 the day after Nicolas Maduro was declared President. His opponent, Henrique Capriles, demanded a recount of the votes. Isabel Bonnet / The Amsterdammer

Venezuelans protest in Caracas on April 2013 the day after Nicolas Maduro was declared President. His opponent, Henrique Capriles, demanded a recount of the votes. Isabel Bonnet / The Amsterdammer

The Amsterdammer | UvA Students to Vote for Student Council Elections from May 14 to May 18

in

From May 14 to May 18, the University of Amsterdam is calling for students to vote for the Student Council Elections 2018. Different parties introduced their candidates for three different categories: student councils, faculty student council and central student council.

The two opposing parties, UvA Sociaal and List Sefa, campaign for the Student Council elections 2018 at the hall E at Roeterseilandcampus. They will keep the table from May 14 to May 18. Isabel Bonnet / The Amsterdammer

The two opposing parties, UvA Sociaal and List Sefa, campaign for the Student Council elections 2018 at the hall E at Roeterseilandcampus. They will keep the table from May 14 to May 18. Isabel Bonnet / The Amsterdammer

The Amsterdammer | My country has no short answer

in

It all started with my mother telling me that I should start using less toilet paper because we couldn’t find it in the supermarkets anymore. When she was able to find some, milk or oil started to disappear. A few months later, “supermarket hopping” to find food became a full-time job. “They are only allowing 1 milk box per person, I’m on my way to pick you up.” She would say on the phone –whenever we were lucky enough to find some. Even so, this is considered a good situation in comparison with how it is today.

venezuela-7.jpg

The Amsterdammer | After King’s Day, Amsterdam (Almost) Goes Back to Normal

in

After receiving thousands of people on King’s Day, Amsterdam dawns clean and orange-less. On Friday, April 27, the crowds gathered on the streets and canals to enjoy the live music, the street markets, to sing, dance, or drink. During the National Holiday, most of the stores closed earlier or for the entire day. However, souvenir shops took it as an opportunity to make money out of this massive celebration. 

3p3a1210.jpg
3p3a1189.jpg