The Trueman Show

Van Belgische student tot staatsvijand | Politicus Dries van Langenhove | The Trueman Show #257

Dec 25, 2025
Dries van Langenhove, a Belgian activist and former politician, shares his tumultuous journey from student engagement to facing legal battles over his movement, Schild & Vrienden. He discusses the intense media framing that altered public perception, the psychological toll of being under scrutiny, and the freedom of speech implications of his case. Dries also reveals the struggles of navigating a politically charged climate, including significant legal costs and a sense of constant surveillance, while advocating for grassroots activism as a path forward.
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ANECDOTE

Fast-Growing Student Movement Became Target

  • Dries describes founding Schild & Vrienden as a rapid, organic student movement that grew from dozens to hundreds of engaged young people.
  • He says the group's visibility and quick success attracted intense media and institutional attention that later targeted him personally.
INSIGHT

Context Stripping Turns Memes Into Evidence

  • Dries argues journalists used hacked private chat screenshots and removed context to portray harmless memes as movement ideology.
  • He claims this framing turned a few posts into evidence of systemic extremist intent.
ANECDOTE

Repeated Raids Yielded Massive Data, Little Results

  • Dries recounts 20 police raids, seizures of devices, and a million images examined during long investigations.
  • He emphasizes investigators found little actionable material despite exhaustive searches.
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