Pensioners occupy Aarhus rehabilitation school over closure

Ten to 12 pensioners have occupied the Rehabilitation Folk High School in Risskov, Aarhus, and locked staff out in protest against its planned closure, DR reports. TV 2 Østjylland says the protest began on Tuesday morning after the city council decided to shut the school.

Signs in the windows read, “The school cannot bring the dead back to life, but it can keep them alive” and “You are throwing away gold with your decision,” according to TV 2 Østjylland.

One of the pensioners, Torben Blom, told the broadcaster that the school had been vital to him since both his legs were amputated. “It has meant that I have become a person again,” he said.

The school offers support and guidance from a healthcare team. Stays typically last two to five weeks, with participants living at the facility, according to Aarhus Municipality.

Opened in 2018, the municipal service is due to close at the end of 2026 as part of the health reform, under which Aarhus Municipality must transfer some responsibilities and buildings to the regional authority.

Metin Lindved Aydin, Aarhus Municipality’s councillor for Health and Care, said he understood the reaction but that there would be no funding for a similar service over the next four years. Building a new rehabilitation centre would cost money, he said, adding that the municipality faces cuts of 185 million kroner as a result of the reform.

He said other services were available, but they would be different from what users were used to. Aydin called the occupation a new development in activism among older people and said he thought it was bold, while adding that he would not encourage people to occupy buildings. He also said he would not call the police.