In Brussels, police prevented people from entering a conference of right-wing populists and nationalists for hours on Tuesday. Speakers also initially had to stay outside. The reason was safety concerns.
Organizers had moved the location twice before because authorities had announced resistance. On Tuesday, despite the blockade with speeches and panel discussions, the event finally took place – even though the district head of the Sint-Joost district had also ordered the event to be banned. The mayor of the district was afraid that racist or homophobic comments might be made. “The far right is not welcome” in Brussels, he said.
Orban is expected on Wednesday
The chairman of the British Brexit Party, Nigel Farage, and the French right-wing extremist politician Éric Zemmour, among others, wanted to participate on Tuesday. Speakers were also temporarily not allowed inside. It was initially unclear whether the two-day event would go ahead on Wednesday. Among those expected to attend the day were Germany’s ex-President for the Protection of the Constitution, Hans-Georg Maaßen, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Belgian Prime Minister: “Unacceptable”
His Fidesz party was also represented. Orban called the incident a “disgrace” for the European Union. “The last time the communists tried to silence me was in 1988, when they sent the police after me. We didn’t give up then and we won’t give up now,” he wrote on Platform X.
You can see Orban’s tweet here.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo also called the police blockade ‘unacceptable’. The constitution guarantees freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, which cannot override local autonomy.
Source: Krone
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