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{{Short description|Belgian political activist}}

factoids

| birth_place = Dendermonde, Belgium| death_date =| death_place =Vlaams Belang{{efn>Affiliated non-member}}| spouse =| children = | alma_mater = Ghent University| signature =| website = kiesdries.be}}Dries Van Langenhove (born 11 May 1993) is a Belgian far-right political activist and former politician. His notoriety stems from his espousal of neo-Nazi views and engagement in associated actions, culminating in a prison term in 2024 due to incitement to violence.WEB, 2024-03-12, A Belgian court sentences a prominent far-right activist to 1 year in prison for spreading hate,weblink 2024-05-06, AP News, en, WEB, 2024-03-12, Belgium’s far-right prodigy gets prison term for inciting violence,weblink 2024-05-06, POLITICO, en-GB, Van Langenhove is the founder and leader of the far-right Flemish nationalist youth organization {{interlanguage link|Schild & Vrienden|nl}}.WEB, Vijftien huiszoekingen in onderzoek naar Schild & Vrienden,weblink 2022-04-15, De Standaard, nl, From 2019 to 2023, Van Langenhove seated as an "independent member" of the Vlaams Belang fraction in the Chamber of Representatives.WEB, De val van een selfmade rechtse apostel,weblink De Tijd,

Early life

Van Langenhove was born in Dendermonde and grew up in Opwijk. He initially started studying political science at Ghent University. Meanwhile, he trained as a plumber. After obtaining his bachelor degree, he began studying law at the same university.WEB, Dries Van Langenhove wil zitje in Raad van Bestuur UGent terug,weblink Het Laatste Nieuws, 2 October 2018, 14 January 2019, NEWS, De val van een selfmade rechtse apostel,weblink Dries Bervoet, De Tijd, 7 January 2018, 14 January 2019,

Politics

Van Langenhove was active in the Conservative and Flemish nationalist student fraternity Katholiek Vlaams Hoogstudentenverbond. When a lecture by State Secretary Theo Francken at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel was cancelled in 2017 after left-wing protesters disrupted the event, Van Langenhove mobilized supporters from an online group to organize further Theo Francken events.WEB, Praten met Dries Van Langenhove van Schild & Vriendinnen. "Aanstekelijk enthousiasme mag niet verloren gaan.",weblink Jurgen Ceder, 't Pallieterke, 11 October 2017, 14 January 2019, 9 September 2018,weblink dead, Until August 2017 he wrote about migration and integration for the conservative website SCEPTR.WEB, Posts van Dries Van Langenhove (gearchiveerd),weblink SCEPTR, 9 December 2018,weblink 14 January 2019, 2018-12-09, Along with Vlaams Belang Jongeren and the NSV he helped to organise a demonstration in Brussels against the UN Global Compact on Migration. In 2018, he also led a counter-demonstration alongside YouTube commentator Lauren Southern. Van Langenhove and Schild en Vrienden members disrupted pro-immigration activists at Gravensteen castle calling for more humane refugee policies. The counter-demonstration was filmed and posted on Facebook.WEB, 2018-09-05, De twee gezichten van Schild & Vrienden: rechtse beweging versus geheime groep vol racisme, seksisme en wapens,weblink 2022-04-15, vrtnws.be, nl, In 2019, Van Langenhove announced he was to stand as an independent MP for the Chamber of Representatives in the 2019 Federal election, and it was later confirmed by Tom Van Grieken that he would run for the Vlaams Belang party (despite not being a full member) and head the VB's list in the Flemish Brabant region. He was elected to the Chamber with 39,295 preference votes.WEB, Vlaams Belang grote winnaar van de verkiezingen, partij wordt tweede in Vlaanderen,weblink Tobias Santens, VRT NWS, VRT Nieuws, nl, 26 May 2019, 5 June 2019, WEB, Dries Van Langenhove van uiterst rechts Schild & Vriendinnen wordt lijsttrekker voor Vlaams Belang,weblink Stefan Grommen, VRT NWS, nl, 9 January 2019, 14 January 2019, In February 2023, Van Langenhove announced in a press conference with Van Grieken that he would resign from the Chamber of Representatives. He stated that his work in parliament had yielded very little and believed activism and social media work would make the greatest difference for the Flemish people.WEB, Dries Van Langenhove stops as a member of parliament: "I've always felt more an activist than a politician",weblink Kirsten Socol, VRT NWS, VRT Nieuws, nl, 4 February 2023, 8 June 2023,

Social media

In April 2021, Van Langenhove started a YouTube channel called Kies Dries where he discusses current events and politics.WEB, 2021-10-11, 2021-04-17, Het Laatste Nieuws, Dries Van Langenhove verzamelt in anderhalve maand duizenden euro's voor eigen mediakanaal,weblink

Controversies

In 2017, Van Langenhove set up a youth movement called {{interlanguage link|Schild & Vrienden|nl}} which shared right-wing memes and participated in political demonstrations. An investigation by Belgian TV show Pano and journalist {{interlanguage link|Tim Verheyden|nl}} found that members of the group were sharing racist, antisemitic and sexist content and memes on secret Facebook and Discord groups. In these groups, Verheyden also encountered posts promoting violence, as well as references to Nazi Germany.WEB, Persbericht - Gent - Onderzoek Schild & Vrienden,weblink An Schoonjans, Parket Oost-Vlaanderen, 10 January 2019, 22 April 2019, The group was also investigated under potential breaches of the 1981 anti-racism law.WEB, Dries Van Langenhove in verdenking gesteld wegens inbreuken op antiracismewet,weblink De Standaard, 17 June 2019, 18 June 2019, As a result of the investigation Van Langenhove, who denied involvement in sharing content in any of the groups, was temporarily suspended as a student by the university of Ghent.On November 25, 2020, the judicial investigation was concluded by investigating judge Annemie Serlippens and communicated to the public prosecutor's office. The public prosecutor's office then asked the Chamber of Representatives to refer Van Langenhove to the criminal court. On 21 January 2021 the public prosecutor's office asked parliament to lift the parliamentary immunity of Van Langenhove due to an investigation into breaching of the anti-racism law, the Belgian Holocaust denial law and weapon law.NEWS, 21 January 2021, Parket-generaal vraagt opheffing onschendbaarheid Dries Van Langenhove, Het Belang van Limburg,weblink 4 February 2021, Van Langenhoven and eight other core members of Schild en Vrienden were to appear in the Ghent court on 25 April 2022.WEB, 2022-04-08, Raadkamer in Gent behandelt zaak 'Schild & Vrienden' op 25 april,weblink 2022-04-15, Het Nieuwsblad, nl, However, Van Langenhove submitted a request of recusal against Serlippens citing political bias that she had previously liked and retweeted a poem on Twitter referring to him and former immigration minister Theo Francken as "rancid" and "fascist." Serlippens subsequently withdrew from the judicial investigation as a result and a new investigating judge was appointed.Baert, Denny, Dries Van Langenhove wil onderzoeksrechter wraken die "vijandige tweets" likete, VRT Nieuws, 8 maart 2021 A fresh appeal made by Van Langenhove to investigate political impartiality in the trial was refused by the new judge and the Court of appeal. In September 2021, Van Langenhove's lawyer requested that certain investigative actions against him be annulled on grounds of bias and breach of privacy.Advocaat Dries Van Langenhove wil nietigheid van onderzoek onderzoeksrechter: "Linkse, onnozele voorwaarden", 23 september 2021 In 2023, the trial against Van Langenhove and Schild & Vrienden was scheduled for September.WEB,weblink Dries Van Langenhove's new friends: how his star as an extreme right-wing poster boy continues to rise

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