Police have ended a demonstration by environmental protesters who occupied a building at Wageningen University (WUR).

Around 20 people from groups including End Fossil WUR entered the Forum building on Monday evening to deliver a manifesto calling for the university to cut its ties with the fossil fuel industry.

After holding talks with rector magnificus Arthur Mol and Dean Bregt, head of education, the protesters were asked to leave at 11pm. A group of 15 refused to depart and were removed by police at 12.30am.

The university, which specialises in life sciences and agricultural research, said the demonstration was peaceful and conducted in a “good atmosphere”. But representatives of the group accused police of using heavy-handed methods to clear the building.

It is the latests in a series of campus protests against fossil fuels in the Netherlands, Germany and elsewhere in Europe in recent months.

Last Tuesday police made 14 arrests as they removed protesters from the University of Amsterdam who wanted the university to end its co-operation with Shell.

Other demonstrations took place at Utrecht University, Erasmus University in Rotterdam and Delft University of Technology. Utrecht announced after the demonstration that it would treat climate change as an emergency.

In December 12 activists from University Rebellion occupied two administrative offices at Eindhoven University of Technology for a week. The protest ended after the university agreed to a number of demands, including publishing full details of its income from fossil fuel firms.