On the square directly behind Tragos’ iron access gate, students had lit pallets to make a bonfire. The flames soon reached a few metres high and there was a lot of smoke. There was no permit for a campfire. Surrounding neighbours phoned the fire brigade, a spokesperson informed. “They initially thought that the fire was in the adjacent playground.”
When the fire brigade arrived to put out the fire, they were “hindered” by a few students, the spokesperson for the fire brigade reported. “They pulled at hoses and people got in the way.” Photographs indeed show how a student is trying to fold up the hose. “To prevent things from escalating, the police were called in. Once they had arrived, things quickly calmed down.”
No arrests
Nobody was arrested and no fines were issued, a spokesperson for the police informed. “When the police arrived, the association’s chairperson sent everyone inside. One person continued to interfere with the firemen’s work and he was sent home.”
It is the second incident in a short space of time that discredits Tragos. The student association was in the news due to misconduct during hazing in September. Apparently racist, sexist and discriminating songs were sung, urine was thrown about and beer was served which made the newcomers vomit. Tragos was punished hard for this. Maastricht University revoked their board grants (more than 30 thousand euro) and – for the time being – severed all official ties. The association is not allowed to participate in the next Inkom, the most important event for recruiting new members, either.
Reform or close down
The incident has caused some commotion among Maastricht politicians. Jules Ortjens, Volt party chairman in the city council, is extremely agitated about the situation. “This is the last straw. You mustn’t underestimate how damaging Tragos’s behaviour is for Maastricht. This kind of incident increases the divide between Maastricht students and non-students. It really is high time for the members with good intentions – because they are undoubtedly there as well – to stand up and fundamentally change this toxic culture. There is no place in Maastricht for an association that behaves in such a degrading manner.” It is either that or close down the association, if it was up to Ortjens.
“You keep your hands off emergency service personnel,” says Labour Party chairwoman Maren Slangen. Her party also feels that something has to be done now. A “stern talk” as city council, but the university and university of applied sciences must take their responsibility too, said the party chairwoman. The university has revoked the subsidy, but Slangen feels it can’t end there. “The university brings these students to the city and ultimately turns them over to the world. Is this the image that they want to present?”
Angry bogeyman
D66 is also hoping for a “stern talk” between the alderman responsible and Tragos, says party chairwoman Claudia Demas. She hopes that they can reach solutions together in order to prevent this kind of thing happening in the future. Should that really not be feasible, tougher measures, such as retracting licenses, can always be looked into, says Demas. This is also a final option for Slangen, although she feels it is too soon for that at the moment.
Terminating the tenancy lease – an option previously mentioned in De Limburger – is not an option. That is not something the city council has power over. Beer brewer Heineken is responsible for that. They are in discussion with Tragos about safety, 1Limburg reports. Exactly what that means, is not clear.
M:OED, a party with strong ties to the Maastricht student world, “of course” disapproves of the fire incident, says party chairman Martin van Rooij. But he feels that strong terms such as degrading “very harsh”. Van Rooij hopes that the case will be an opportunity for the city council to evaluate how it has supported the student associations over the past years. “I’m afraid we will discover that practically nothing has been done. For associations, the city is the ‘angry bogeyman’ who comes to point a finger when something is not right. They don’t see them at any other time.” Van Rooij hopes that the alderman responsible will pay the association a visit soon to ask “how things are going. Strengthening the ties with student associations reduces the chances of these kind of excesses. Something positive could come from this.”
Apologies
The Tragos board states in an e-mail that they are “shocked by the commotion arising from the fire". According to chairman Thijmen Vermeer, a controlled bonfire was made during a private party by one of the Tragos’s debating teams. “At no time was there any unsafe situation.” They didn’t know that they needed a permit. Furthermore, Vermeer emphasises that the person who was sent off was not a Tragos member, but one of the guests. “An adult middle-aged man.” Therefore, the association and its members themselves cannot be blamed, Vermeer writes. The association does regret that the firemen felt unsafe. "We will, of course, make our personal apologies. Firemen should at all times feel safe, be unhindered in doing their jobs responsibly.”