The university has been grappling for some time with the decision to allow the GNSV to participate in the El Cid information market in August. During University Council meetings, the Executive Board has been urged several times to ban the association from university activities. There have also been consistent protests during the market against the GNSV’s presence. Leiden’s municipal council wishes for the university exclude the organisation as well. 

In September, the General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) and the National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism (NCTV) published a report classifying the GNSV as far-right. The security services also warned that universities were normalising this ideology by allowing the association to participate in university activities.

BAN

Based on that analysis, Radboud University Nijmegen decided to ban the GNSV from its activities. Last week, the University Council asked whether Leiden would take the same step. At the time, the Executive Board appeared to be in no hurry. There were concerns that a ban would not hold up in court. 

Now, the decision has been made to sideline the association after all. ‘The GNSV student association will be barred indefinitely from the annual EL CID information fair’, the Executive Board writes on the university website. ‘We have made this decision based on new information in a joint report by the intelligence and counterterrorism services (AIVD and NCTV). Leiden Municipality and University of Applied Sciences support the decision.’

‘Our introductory fair should give students a taste of student life in an environment where they feel safe and welcome’, explains Rector Sarah de Rijcke. ‘The report describes how the GNSV presents itself as moderate to recruit members at universities, while in reality promoting far-right ideology. We do not want to provide a platform for that at our introductory fair. We will therefore no longer permit the GNSV to participate and are also examining whether our general criteria for facilitating student organisations need to be revised.’

Last week, the Executive Board announced that it would review the guidelines for participation in the information market before the summer. This was in response to long-standing concerns within the university community about the GNSV’s participation. ‘In preparing its decision, the Executive Board consulted various student associations and representatives of the GNSV, and drew on legal and academic expertise from within its own organisation.’

HATEFUL IDEAS

The Board ‘considers the GNSV’s participation in the introduction fair to be incompatible with the university’s responsibility to provide a safe learning and working environment, and with its duty to promote students’ personal development and social responsibility’.

Leiden Mayor Peter Heijkoop is pleased with the decision, according to the statement. ‘Offensive, racist and hateful ideas should never be given a platform’, he says. 

Angelien Sanderman, President of the Executive Board of Leiden University of Applied Sciences, also supports the university: ‘We are committed to providing a safe learning environment and take the AIVD/NCTV report seriously. We therefore support this decision.’