Conflict around far-right VSP continues to escalate

The student council of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is in crisis because of the conflict surrounding the Vrijmoedige Studentenpartij (VSP). Factions in other cities have now split off.

VSP founder Marlon U. behaved aggressively and intimidatory for years on the Vrije Universiteit campus, wrote the newspaper Het Parool last Friday. The article followed an earlier fight on campus. Marlon U. is said to have knocked a student to the ground there. That student had confronted U. about the singing of a Nazi song.

Since then a number of VSP members have turned their backs on their far-right party. At the end of January the Utrecht VSP members left and later those at the University of Amsterdam followed. Last Wednesday it became known that the Leiden VSP members will continue on a personal title.

Suspension

Meanwhile it remains turbulent at the Vrije Universiteit. On Thursday afternoon there will be a protest on campus against the ‘ineffective’ actions of the Executive Board. They want the board to make clearer how it will act against misconduct.

According to the VU measures have indeed been taken. Conversations were held, warnings given and there is said to be a suspension. “Any form of intimidation, discrimination, violence or exclusion is unacceptable”, a spokesperson said.

Speaking ban

There is still a VSP member on the VU student council. Other councillors do not want to sit with him at the table. As a result the student council has not met for some time.

In an attempt to quell the crisis the daily board of the student council at one point asked people not to talk ‘extern’ about the Marlon U. matter. The membership perceived that as a speaking ban. It led to a great deal of anger.

Fabrications

The board has now resigned. They say they have been ‘dehumanised’ by their own membership, the board members tell Ad Valvas, the VU paper. “The emotions have flared up so much that dialogue is no longer possible”, said one of the two.

The second board member also warned members of the membership who spoke to Het Parool about Marlon U. They are said to have boasted to her about made-up or exaggerated accusations. “So stupid”, she says, “the facts are bad enough already.” Whether the fabrications made it into Het Parool is not clear.

‘Disturbing pattern’

Last year the election committee of the student council reported that the VSP showed a ‘disturbing pattern of increasing aggression, intimidation and misconduct’ during elections. The editor-in-chief of Ad Valvas has also been intimidated by founder Marlon U. He filed a report.