We, the undersigned, call upon the Gemeente Maastricht to facilitatie the Muziekgieterij to move to a new temporary location with immediate effect, since now due to new regulations against student events, and the already small venue, the Muziekgieterij, Maastricht's premier music venue, cannot facilitate us anymore at the Bankastraat. On Friday 20th April 2012 we were informed by the Muziekgieterij that the local authorities had decided - without giving us a reasonable period to look for alternatives - no longer to the Muziekgieterij to host the MaasBASS (UK Bass) and Strictly Vinyl (Techno/Minimal) parties, due to complaints from neighbours of increased student presence in their residential neighbourhood. Given that these are the only two parties primarily aimed at international students and underground electronic music enthusiasts, this move of removing one of the very few platforms left for such events is short-sighted at best. For a city that is aiming to be European Cultural Capital 2018, and that prides itself as having a vibrant international student community, it is simply unacceptable for it to not provide basic cultural facilities that fall outside of its one-sided cultural agenda. As published in the regional newspaper De Limburger the Gemeente Maastricht is aiming at moving the Muziekgieterij to the Platte Zaal by the end of 2013. As we understand, at this precise moment, this is no more than a mere possibility. This leaves us not only with no home to reside in for the time being, but furthermore there is no guarantee that there will be any way for us to continue. This could mean the end of two successful student events which are of great importance for large parts of the Maastricht international student population, which have been bringing in up-and-coming artists from across Europe and the Netherlands, providing quality electronic music month after month. There is the urgent need for a club facility like the Muziekgieterij for the specific parties students, who constitute a significant portion of the city's population and interests, are asking for. Without a club like the Muziekgieterij a great number of initiatives which can be organised in every other city with a university in the Netherlands will no longer be organised in Maastricht. Is this what the local authorities want? We, as concerned students and citizens of Maastricht, see the inherent value of a location like the Muziekgiterij, and urge the municipality to take immediate action in both allowing the Muziekgieterij to move to an alternative location, to invest in this location and to take care that this alternative location can open its doors on short term within a few month time (at latest at the start of the new academic year in September 2012). Knowing the situation at Belvedere we cannot imagine that it is not an option to find a temporary residency in this area.