File charges against Harry Pettit. That is the call made by 151 staff and students in an open letter to the Executive Board, following statements made by the Assistant Professor on social media. They also call for labour law action against Pettit.

‘We, concerned students and staff of Radboud University, write to you out of a deep concern about the behaviour and utterances of Assistant Professor Harry Pettit.’ Thus begins the open letter signed by 151 Radboud University students, staff and alumni – 51 under their own name, 100 anonymously.

The initiator of the letter is student Milos Boksan, who previously acted as spokesperson for a group of Jewish students who feel unsafe on campus. ‘The trigger for the open letter was Assistant Professor of Human Geography Harry Pettit’s tweet on 10 October,’ Boksan says when asked. ‘In this tweet, Pettit writes that it is time to “finish what the Palestinians started on 7 October” and calls for “a new round of resistance that will eradicate ‘Israel’ once and for all”.’

Goudsmitpaviljoen

According to the letter writers, this tweet by Pettit does not stand alone. ‘Pettit has repeatedly spoken out in ways that condone violence and incite hatred,’ Boksan says.

The letter refers, among other things, to messages shared by Pettit on X from organisations identified by NCTV as terrorist organisations such as the Al Aqsa Brigades and Hezbollah”, legitimising armed attacks. It also refers to a post in which Pettit applauds the recent occupation by pro-Palestine activists of the Goudsmitpaviljoen, even though, according to Professor Arno Kentgens, the occupation was extremely dangerous.

With these actions, according to the letter writers, Pettit legitimises violence and undermines research and safety on campus. ‘Jewish students are not the only ones who feel unsafe because of Pettit’s utterances,’ says Boksan. ‘The signatories this time include students who call for a peaceful pro-Palestinian resolution. As an Executive Board, you cannot ignore these signals.’

Specifically, the signatories want the Executive Board to take employment law action and file charges against Pettit. Boksan: ‘The Executive Board has previously said that politics should not interfere with the University. I agree. But then why do they let it come this far?’

‘Invite representatives for an interview’

Asked whether the letter writers were not playing at politics themselves by sending in this open letter a week before the House of Representatives elections, Boksan, who is himself politically active as a municipal councillor on behalf of the VVD, replied: ‘No, this is a call to keep the University safe. We want to remind the Executive Board of its duty of care to students and staff.’

‘It is the Executive Board’s responsibility to act on this’

Asked why the letter writers did not themselves file charges against the Assistant Professor, Boksan replied: ‘This open letter is our action. There seems to be sufficient evidence that this lecturer is creating an unsafe atmosphere on campus. It is the Executive Board’s responsibility to act on this.’

‘The Executive Board has received the open letter and call,’ a university spokesperson told Vox in a response. ‘We will invite representatives from the group of signatories for an interview.’ The spokesperson chose not to respond to further questions about the call for charges.