VU students sentenced for assault, discriminatory remarks after Nazi song dispute

The district court in Amsterdam has handed 26-year-old Marlon U. of Almere a 240-hour community service sentence for attempted serious assault, involvement in public violence, and discriminatory statements made during an incident at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam campus on the evening hours of November 27 leading into November 28, 2025. Reinout V., 25, from Amsterdam, received a 180-hour community service sentence for his involvement in the same incident.

Following a student council drinks event at a campus venue, Marlon U. allegedly turned on a fellow student of Egyptian origin after being challenged over the singing of a Nazi song. U. physically assaulted the student and made discriminatory remarks, while Reinout V., a colleague on the council, assisted him. V. also shoved aside a bystander who attempted to step in and stop the incident.

The two defendants are affiliated with the Vrijmoedige Studentenpartij (VSP), a student party founded by U. The VSP is generally regarded as a right-conservative movement that is critical of what it describes as “woke” ideology.

Earlier this year, Het Parool reported on allegations of years of inappropriate behavior by U. at the VU. He has rejected the accusations, claiming he is being targeted by a coordinated campaign against him.

U. described the incident as merely “a drunken altercation that escalated,” while V. repeatedly insisted that his actions were intended solely to “de-escalate” the confrontation.

The court decided against imposing an immediate custodial sentence on the 26-year-old defendant because the victim's injuries were relatively minor. However, he was given a conditionally suspended two-month prison sentence, which will be activated if he reoffends within two years.