The VOC flag was noticed on Monday and was quickly removed by VU Amsterdam. On August 8 a spokesperson of VU Amsterdam says that that the university is still in the process of filing a police report and expects to finish the same day.
VU Amsterdam still had an extra Progress Pride flag in storage, which it hoisted up the flag pole on Wednesday. The other flag originates from Orange The World, a campaign by UN Women Netherlands opposing violence against women and girls. This flag had to be ordered and was put up on Thursday.
Anonymous thief
It is unclear who has taken and replaced the flags. The orange-white-blue Prince’s flag is controversial because it was also used by the NSB (Nationalist Socialist Movement), which collaborated with the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. The VOC (United East India Company) is tied to colonialism and slavery.
In an open letter rector Jeroen Geurts responds to the flag theft. ‘Inclusivity is a right. A hard-won right. And that right still needs to be fought for every day, so that everyone can be themselves. That’s what Pride Amsterdam was about last week’, he writes. He welcomes challenging discussions which are held respectfully and openly, ‘Don’t secretly steal a flag’. The open letter does not contain any reference to the VOC flag.
In a ‘Q & Gay’ session with Geurts last February, he stated people who want the flag removed had come to him. Because they see it as a political statement, or as something against their religious beliefs. He also said it kept him up at night when the Pride Library was vandalized last year.
UPDATE August 9 2024 21:10
VU Pride, a network for LGBTQIA+ students and employees at VU, has released the following statement to Ad Valvas: ‘We appreciate that the VU took quick action by taking down the flag, reporting this to the police and releasing a statement. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident, but rather one of many that have contributed to an atmosphere shift at the VU. As queer students we have felt our safe spaces invaded and affected by this shift and we hope that the VU will take action in the coming year to prevent such incidents and help queer students feel safe once again.’