The 24-year-old terror suspect arrested late last week is a member of the right-wing nationalist student association GNSV. Whether GNSV will still be welcome at Radboud University's introduction market is still unclear.

The 24-year-old man arrested late last week for preparing a terrorist attack is a member of Groot Nederlandse Studentenvereniging (Great Netherlands Student Association, GNSV). According to information from Vox, the suspect was present at activities organised by GNSV in Nijmegen in the past, including the association’s stall at the introduction market in 2023. When asked on Monday morning whether the suspect is also a student at Radboud University, the university spokesperson could not yet answer.

GNSV was supposed to be at Radboud University’s introduction market again this year. Whether this will still be allowed in view of the recent news is at present unclear. The spokesperson could not yet answer that question either.

In a press statement, Daan Meershoek, Chair of the Nijmegen branch of GNSV, stated that “the recently arrested member has been suspended pending trial”.

Weapons and ammunition

The suspect was arrested on Thursday morning. According to AIVD, the man was “prepared to commit acts of right-wing terrorist violence”. Police also conducted raids at several locations, including the suspect’s home and a former restaurant in Erp, Brabant. In the process, they found weapons and ammunition.

The association distances itself from these actions. “GNSV stresses that it disapproves of any form of political violence”, the statement reads. “Violence in no way fits into the democratic debate in which the association participates”, Meershoek states in the announcement. “The association strives at all times to pursue its social purposes in a peaceful manner. Ideas of political violence are absolutely not part of our political philosophy of life and we also systematically reject them.”

However, GNSV is not an uncontroversial association. For instance, the association adheres to the Greater Netherlands philosophy (the merging of the Netherlands and Flanders into a single nation state, Eds.) and stands for marriage between men and women. According to investigators, the association also includes far-right elements, in part due to its close links to Geuzenbond, an organisation that spreads repopulation theories and displays the controversial princes’ flag – and the Flemish-nationalist NSV, a breeding ground for politicians from the far-right political party Vlaams Belang. Geuzenbond is being monitored by the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security .

Racism, xenophobia and neo-fascism

GNSV made its first appearance at Radboud University in 2023. In that year, they had a stall at the introduction market, where associations introduce themselves to new freshmen. This did not go unnoticed: in a brawl claimed at the time by Actiegroep Nijmegen, some members of GNSV got injured. Three members of Actiegroep Nijmegen were arrested, though none were convicted: one of the members did not have to appear in court, while the other two were later acquitted. GNSV was also at the market last year: this once again elicited a counteraction, this time without major incidents.

GNSV’s presence at the introduction market has also been criticised in the past. For example, independent researcher Marijke Naezer wrote last year in an opinion piece on Voxweb that the University was ‘providing a stage for racism, xenophobia and neofascism’ by welcoming GNSV to its introduction market.