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- Authors: Nick Beake, Brussels; Laura Gozzi
- bbc news
On Tuesday, Brussels police were ordered to shut down a meeting of right-wing politicians, including Brexiteer Nigel Farage and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Organizers said people were barred from entering just hours after the National Conservative Conference started – although insiders were still allowed in.
The local mayor said he issued the order to ensure public safety.
Conference organizers said they “overcame attempts to suppress them”.
They said they planned to continue the meeting on Wednesday, writing: “See you tomorrow!” on X (formerly Twitter).
Hungary’s Mr Orban – who will deliver a speech there – reacted angrily, posting on Facebook: “Brussels has just taken a step. If anyone stands up for peace, they will be prohibit.
“Without a doubt, on June 9 we must make it clear: no war!” he added, referring to the date of the European elections.
The move to shut down the meeting was also criticized by Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, who called it “unacceptable”.
“The ban on political meetings is unconstitutional. Period,” Mr. De Croo wrote on the X.
Referring to the fact that local mayor Emile Kiel opposed the meeting, Mr De Croo said that while municipal autonomy is a cornerstone of Belgian democracy, it “can never overturn the Belgian constitution which guarantees freedom of expression”.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called reports of police action “extremely disturbing.”
A spokesman for Sunak said he was a “staunch supporter and advocate of free speech” and believed “cancelling events or blocking attendance and unplatformed speakers undermines free speech and democracy”.
Mr Sunak’s own MP Suella Braverman had earlier attended the event, with Ms Braverman telling the BBC she had not been kicked out and was able to give a speech.
‘The far right is not welcome’
The national conservative conference reportedly started at around 08:00 (06:00 GMT) on Tuesday and continued non-stop for about three hours until police arrived to enforce Mayor Kiir’s order and call for organizers Ask attendees to leave.
Police then blocked the entrance to the venue and did not allow anyone to enter, but people were allowed to leave.
Kiel, the mayor of the city’s São José district, said he issued the ban to ensure public safety.
In a letter to organizers, Mr Keir said some attendees at Tuesday’s meeting held anti-gay and anti-abortion views. “Among these figures are several from the conservative right, the religious right and the European far right,” his statement said.
“The far right is not welcome,” he added on X.
Mr Farage, who took the stage this morning, told the BBC that the decision to close the meeting was because there were homophobes in the audience who were “shoes”, denouncing the decision as an attempt to stifle free speech.
“Thank God for Brexit,” he said.
The National Conservatism Conference, organized by the Edmund Burke Foundation think tank, is a global movement that champions so-called traditional values that it claims are being “undermined and overthrown.” It also opposes further European integration.
The conference said its purpose was to bring together “public figures, journalists, academics and students” who understand the connection between conservatism and national ideas and traditions.
French far-right politician Eric Zemmour, who arrived for the meeting after police blocked the entrance, told reporters that Mr Kiir was “using the police as a private militia to prevent… Europeans from participating freely”.
Organizers said Mr Zemour would not be allowed into the venue and his speech would be postponed.
As well as Mr Orban, former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki will also speak at the event on Wednesday. In any event, Mr Orban will travel to Brussels for a European Council meeting.
Earlier, organizers said on X that they would challenge the order to close the conference.
“The police entered the venue at our invitation, saw the entire process and the press corps, and then quickly withdrew. Did they witness the peaceful atmosphere of the event?” they posted.
The Claridge event venue is located near the European Quarter of Brussels and can accommodate up to 850 people. About 250 people attended Tuesday afternoon.
Mohamed Nemri, owner of the Claridge’s Hotel, told the BBC he decided to host the event because “we don’t reject any side… even if we don’t share the same views. That’s normal”.
“I’m a Muslim and people have different opinions, that’s all. We live in a free country. I want people to talk freely,” he added.
It was the third venue scheduled to host the event after the first two failed. Belgian media reported that one venue was canceled under pressure from a group called the “Belgian Anti-Fascist Coordination Group.”
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