Asylum protests have been occupying the country for some time. It has already been written a number of times about the influence of Defend groups in this regard. A tangle of Defend and Defend-like groups has now emerged. These groups are often described by the government and various politicians as “concerned citizens” with “legitimate concerns”. However, the ties with the extreme right are very close and there is a natural exchange of stakeholders between explicit Nazi groups and Defend. They also regularly attend each other's demonstrations.
Defend Netherlands is in 2024 founded by Jordy Huisman and Dean Ursinus and has no relationship with the defense groups from the covid era. Soon more chapters were added. In 2025 the organization has been split into Defend Netherlands, where Jordy Huisman and Romeo de Jong are important leaders. Eldor van Feggelen and Keelin Meines often act as spokespersons for Defend Netherlands. De andere tak is Defend United. This branch is led from Den Bosch. They recently announced on Facebook that they now... 16 recognize chapters. These are groups or sometimes individuals who are allowed to bear the logo and name locally. To this end, resident Marco Meesters has also applied for a trademark on the logo and name. The structure resembles that of motorcycle clubs as we also see in extreme right-wing groups such as Blood & Honor and the now defunct far-right groups such as Protesters against the municipality (DTG) en Dutch Self Defense Army (dsdA). And if you do your best, you can also earn a certificate from Defend United.
Defend United says that all chapters are independent. However, there are a few things that stand out. New chapters were recently founded in Loosdrecht, Apeldoorn and Ter Apel. Always a coincidence after people from Defend Den Bosch were present at demonstrations in these places. It seems that people make contact on the spot and then get “the victory” from Den Bosch to start a chapter of Defend United.
There is a lot of movement around Defend United (OF) en Defend Netherlands (DN). Chapters change umbrellas quite often. For example, a number of public figures and groups have recently switched to National Pride. This club is led by Vincent Blokker, his wife and a few others and now consists of: Warriors North, east, South and West. For example, Nationale Trots was present in Utrecht with a large delegation for the occupation of the A12. Reasons for switching are never really given, except for cryptic Facebook messages: “Words have been said, things have been said”. There are hardly any substantive differences. The responses to these types of messages show that there are almost always clashing egos or arguments about it (lack) deployment of persons that leads to splits.
Brigade Holland
Also Johan Beset (known for AI music with an extreme right-wing slant) has started a new initiative: Brigade Holland. Also here are some people from Defend United, like his wife, switched to. It is significant that the name change on Facebook has not yet been successful. There Brigade Holland is still called White Boys Europe. This group is now explicitly recruiting but still maintains good contacts with Defend United. The fact that these are ad hoc decisions is evident from the fact that one of the switchers had a Defend United tattoo placed in her hairline a few weeks ago..
Next to Defend (YOU a DN) Identitair Resistance is also increasingly explicitly present at these demonstrations. These are Femke den Hoed (now working under the pseudonym van Weilandt) , Ronald Sloof (recently radicalized) , Peter de Ruiter and Peter van Vliet (the latter comes everywhere and blows with all winds). They previously came to protests in Defend Netherlands clothing, but apparently they want more.
A link with the Identitarian movement in other countries is not obvious because they work very professionally with slick banners and materials.. They also organize their own high-profile actions. Identitair Verzet has so far limited itself to handmade banners ( including corrected spelling errors)
and operates under the protection of other protests. Sometimes they also seem to refrain from hanging a banner on the spot. In addition, these people have never been seen together with Martin Sellner or other representatives of the international Identitarian Movement. Indeed, Sellner chooses to collaborate in the Netherlands with, among others, the Geuzenbond and in Flanders with the NSV! and Shield and Friends.
All present at Nazi demonstrations
With all the organizations mentioned, extreme right-wing or even explicit Nazi worship is no problem at all. Nazis are also always welcome at the demonstrations and people from Defend United and Defend Netherlands also go to demonstrations of the NVU or the NNB in their clothing.. The announcements of these demonstrations are actively shared, also by Defend Den Bosch. And where at some demonstrations it is said that they are not present as Defend chapters (e.g. the demonstrations of National Protest) is that the NVU or the Dutch Nationalist Movement (NNB) demonstrations absolutely not the case.
In addition, both Defend Netherlands and Defend United called on people to come to the ACU in Utrecht to demonstrate against antifa. This demonstration was explicitly far-right due to the use of the Celtic cross in the announcement. Also at the bottom of the call is a well-known neo-Nazi salute. In the run-up to this demo, several people also called for violence against left-wing people and the ACU. There was also a large delegation from Defend to the explicitly neo-Nazi demonstration of the Dutch Nationalist Movement in Apeldoorn ( see also article about the NNB). People from Defend Den Bosch, Defend Arnhem and Defend Den Haag were present. The aforementioned Marco Meesters from Den Bosch was also there.
And also actions by the NVU, such as against asylum reception in Utrecht, can count on the presence of Defend Netherlands and Defend United. Jordy Huisman and Rico Bouwmeester from DN were there, for example.
Defend Netherlands also has these ties, despite their somewhat “softer” image because they do talk to the media. At a birthday party for Diego Bloemendaal, a number of far-right Defend members were present and neo-Nazis such as Peter van Vliet, Boy van Velzen and Martijn Janssen.
Defend Coevorden
Defend Coevorden is very colorful. This chapter is run by Arjan Sportel. He came in 2020 en 2021 in the news because of threats with a firearm and then actually shot someone. He makes no secret of his Nazi glorification. His profiles are full of Nazi stuff, clothes with Nazi symbols or far-right music. He was also very outspoken in the chats on telegram. Yet he is welcome and goes with Defend United to various protests such as in Utrecht and Ter Apel. Sportel has also been spotted a number of times at the protests in Apeldoorn, which attracted several neo-Nazis.
The inflammatory nature of the posts on social media is also striking. Chapters and the aforementioned organizations share each other's memes, videos and announcements (including demonstrations of the NVU, the NNB and Voorpost). If they manage to walk onto the A59, the next group is encouraged to go one step further. And Identitair Verzet has a nice banner hanging, then that becomes, for example,. shared by Defend Den Bosch. Defend Loosdrecht's Facebook post on 12 May reads like an outright declaration of war on the municipal council: “The battle begins”. This chapter explicitly pushes the boundaries. AI videos in which, for example, the shelter is demolished or the mayor is attacked are posted and readily shared by others. In addition, the leadership does nothing to ensure that the demonstrations in Loosdrecht proceed calmly. Indeed, one of the leaders himself challenges the police and thus incites the crowd. For example, he yells at the police: “This is Loosdrecht, Loosdrecht is ours, and not yours, state hooligans”. Defend Loosdrecht also later described in a Facebook message that they "gave the newcomers a warm welcome" with the picture of the fire at the building 12 May.
Everything seems aimed at deliberate escalation. From one protest per month to daily protests in multiple locations. The protesters attack other voices both online and physically. For example, people who needed shelter had to go to Apeldoorn, Loosdrecht and The Hague leave under heavy police guard. For the time being, the core group does not appear to have taken the step of committing violence themselves, but it does support violence in its statements. (I condemn violence but I understand it). It is important to realize that Defend United also does not WANT to talk to the government, as shown by a message about Defend Arkel, which would have contact with the municipality. Defend Loosdrecht has also explicitly indicated that it does not want to talk to the mayor.
Samenwerking
A glimpse of the interplay between these different groups was recently revealed by an argument between Eldor van Feggelen and Femke den Hoed. Van Feggelen was angry that Den Hoed and her club held the demonstration in Ter Apel (9 May 2026) would use for their own gain and that his friends would have to bear the consequences. Den Hoed and De Ruiter then threatened him. The fragments played show that Defend Netherlands had registered the demo in Ter Apel. According to Den Hoed, she and Sloof had worked hard on this.
Defend Netherlands then withdrew and Defend United and Identitair Verzet followed suit. However, Defend United still came to Ter Apel with a large group. By publicly distancing themselves, they try to avoid responsibility for the organization and conduct of the demo. And of course they were not in the designated box, but they walked around freely in the center of Ter Apel; where they then also surrounded anti-fascist demonstrators by their car and verbally attacked them.
And that seems to be the pattern. Incitement on social media, deliberately push the boundaries in language and image, and then hope someone swallows the bait. The government and politicians also contribute to this. Because of the aggressive and sometimes violent protests, where any dissenting opinion is severely attacked, legitimizing them as “concerned citizens” with “legitimate concerns” gives oxygen to the protests. This is further reinforced by the explicit support for the actions from the FVD, Mona Keijzer, DNA (Markuszower) and the PVV (Wilders will soon start another “resistance tour” along AZC protests).
Violence against people who want to receive refugees
Aggressive demonstrators are now increasingly seeking violent confrontations with people who disagree with them. So it was up 16 May a man in Loosdrecht threatened, wanted up 16 May one few demonstrators fighting with the counter-demo at the National Protest in Utrecht. And were admitted that same day Groningen two counter-demonstrators on their way home were jumped and beaten up by five men who had previously been present at the National Protest. The photo of the proud perpetrators with the stolen flag was also shared by Defend Netherlands on Instagram.
It is clear that these defense groups are part of the extreme right, and any form of legitimacy for the protests organized by them also gives legitimacy to the far right and neo-Nazi groups.
