'Jeremiah Runnels expelled for stunt': hoax by Brussen&Co

UPDATE 17:45 Thanks to Dimitri van der Werf (in the comments) The composer in question does have to leave the country, but not because of this stunt, but because he did not fulfil his reporting obligation, which he for the validity of his residence permit should have done. The Amsterdam police (press information department) explains that.

UPDATE 15:30: The Post by Bert Brussen now appears to be completely wrong. 'Kwaaie Pier' Hans Ferwerda revealed that no charges were ever filed against the artist in question, and that everything is therefore, as we suggest in the contribution below, a rather sick PR stunt.

Bert Brussen's weblog has a real scandal address.
At an event on 18 January last at the Concertgebouw, precisely on the theme of scandals in the arts, a music student from the Hague Conservatory of Music allegedly went too far. This American, Jeremiah Runnels, attached a loud siren to a helium balloon and released it during the scandal event. The deafening sound chased orchestra and many a spectator out of the hall.

According to the report on The Post Online, organiser Hans Ferwerda would have been not amused with this typical 1960s sample of rioting and has filed charges of vandalism against the student residing here on a study visa. (So this has since turned out to be a lie). The scandal now would be that the immigration police immediately proceeded to deport the music student on the basis of that report.

It appears thus also not the case. The student received a request from the police under section 54 of the Aliens Act. This is a periodic request, asking a foreigner residing here to show certain papers. That could be a return ticket, for example, if the foreigner is staying here under a temporary residence permit. For now, the note from the police concerns nothing more than that.

So the fact that the student had to come and show his ticket would indicate immediate deportation has not been proven. Indeed, if you could be deported from the Netherlands on the basis of a declaration alone, there would be real cause for scandal. At the very least, a conviction would have to have followed.

So for now, it is a PR stunt. A successful one. That for sure.

We will, as always, keep you updated.