A far-right conference attended by the likes of Nigel Farage, Suella Braverman and Victor Orban was forcefully shut down by police yesterday. The local authorities cited security concerns as their reason.
Guests Prevented From Entering
The conference was allowed to continue for all guests already in attendance, but the event was closed off to newcomers within a few hours of the event’s start.
Three Hours Of Freedom
The event is reported to have started at around 8 a.m. local time and ran for three hours before police stopped any new attendees. The police were sent at the request of the local mayor, Emir Kir.
Belgian Prime Minister Keen to Distance Himself
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, labelled the actions “unacceptable”. Online, he wrote, “Banning political meetings is unconstitutional. Full stop.”
Organized by a Conservative Think Tank
The Edmund Burke Foundation organizes the event. The National Conservatism Conference embraces what it describes as “traditional values,” which it believes are being “undermined and overthrown.”
Organizer Reaction to Police Intervention
The event organisers said online: “The police entered the venue on our invitation, saw the proceedings and the press corps, and quickly withdrew. Is it possible they witnessed how peaceful the event is?”
Next Steps Unclear
Mr De Croo said decisions taken at a local government level would “never overrule the Belgian constitution guaranteeing freedom of speech”. This suggests the conference will be allowed to continue without interruption.
Local Mayor Gives His Reasons
Writing online, Mayor Kir said, “Among these personalities there are several particularly from the right-conservative, religious right and European extreme right. The far right is not welcome.”
Local Organizer Explains Police Discussions
The local organizer, Anthony Gilland, explained his interaction with the police: “One of the reasons that we’ve been given—it’s not the only reason—is that there will be a counterprotest this afternoon around about 5 p.m., and the idea is that the police are not able to protect free speech at this event.”
Sunak Has His Say
A spokesman for Rishi Sunak said he is a “strong supporter and advocate for free speech” and believes “cancelling events or preventing attendance and no-platforming speakers is damaging to free speech and to democracy as a result.”
Intended Outcome Not Realized
By attempting to shut down the conference, instead, Mr Kir has drawn more attention to it and scored a PR own goal by attempting to shut down free speech.
The Right Wing Will Enjoy This
Whilst the conference may have been affected, this has presented a golden opportunity for the right wing to highlight what they believe is their right to free speech being curtailed.
Self-Styled Right-Wing Hero Farage Takes Advantage
Nigel Farage, never one to miss a PR opportunity said, “I understand the police are very, very keen to close this down. If they’re going to close it down they can do it with me on stage.”
French Politician Zemmour Prevented From Entering
Eric Zemmour, a previous French Presidential election candidate, told journalists that Mr Kir was “using the police as a private militia to prevent Europeans from taking part freely”.
Zemmour was prevented from accessing the conference, giving more weight to his remarks.
The Left Playing Into Right Wing Hands
One of the main criticisms of left wing politics is the heavy-handed approach to curtailing speech. ‘Cancel Culture’ is very much a fault of the left wing according to the right, and incidents like this don’t help the left’s cause.
Growing Divide In the Run-Up to Elections
Across the whole of 2024 several European countries will hold elections, and moments like this can help to push floating voters towards the right. Heavy-handed policing of peaceful conferences is an affront to free speech.
Western Values Challenged
One of the overriding principles in Western values is the right to free speech – and polling shows many will prioritize this over many other things. If people feel they are at risk of living in a police state, they’ll often do their talking at the ballot box.
Ball in Belgium’s Court
All eyes will be on the actions of Belgium’s central government and how they operate now. The conference is scheduled to continue today, so if they override the local government and allow it to continue, they might save their reputation.
What Next for Kir?
Having shown his hand in the policing of a right-wing event in his city, Mayor Kir may have caused himself some serious political and reputational damage. Let’s see how that works out for him…
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The post Cancelled: Farage Hits Out as Far-Right Brussels Conference Gets Closed Down first appeared on Edge Media.
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