The gathering of right-wing politicians in Brussels descends into chaos as police and the local mayor attempt to shut down the conference, with Nigel Farage hitting out at ‘monstrous’ efforts to silence speakers, warning: ‘We are up against a new kind of communism’
Nigel Farage today hit out at ‘monstrous’ efforts to shut down a gathering of right-wing politicians in Brussels, warning: ‘We are up against a new form of communism.’
The former UKIP leader hit out when police and a local mayor in the Belgian capital tried to cancel a ‘national conservatism’ conference.
As well as Mr Farage, speakers at the two-day event were also due to include former Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
But the event was thrown into chaos as local officials worked frantically to shut it down.
Emir Kir, the mayor of the Brussels district of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, said he had issued an order banning the national conservatism conference from taking place “to guarantee public safety”.
“In Etterbeek, in Brussels City and in Saint-Josse, the far right is not welcome,” he added.
Police were seen inside the ‘Claridge’ event around midday as they held talks with conference organisers.
But the officers did not appear to force the event to shut down and speeches continued.
Those behind the event said they were launching a legal challenge to Mr Kir’s order, adding: ‘There is no public unrest and no reason to shut down a gathering of politicians, intellectuals, journalists, students, civic leaders and concerned citizens.
“The police entered the scene at our invitation, saw the proceedings and the press corps and quickly withdrew.
“Is it possible that they witnessed how peaceful the event is?”
Nigel Farage hit out at ‘monstrous’ efforts to shut down a gathering of right-wing politicians in Brussels, warning: ‘We are up against a new form of communism’
Tony Gilland, of the think tank MCC Brussels, which organized the conference, is pictured speaking to police officers
Police arrived at the venue, but the officers did not appear to force the event to shut down, and speeches continued
Police stood guard outside the ‘Claridge’ venue in the Belgian capital as the national conservatism event continued amid chaos
Farage lashed out at the police and a local mayor for trying to cancel the right-wing political gathering
As he began his conference speech, Mr Farage said the events of recent hours had reminded him why Britain had the “right to leave” the Brussels-based EU
Speakers at the two-day event were also due to include ex-Home Secretary Suella Braverman before the conference descended into chaos
As he began his conference speech amid the chaos, Mr Farage said ongoing events reminded him why Britain had the ‘right to leave’ the Brussels-based EU.
On his first official trip back to the Belgian capital since Britain left the bloc, Mr Farage said: ‘What has happened in the last 48 hours is simply monstrous.’
He described how two venues had already pulled out of hosting the ‘National Conservatism’ conference before a third venue was found last night.
“What you may or may not know in the audience now is that this place which accepted this booking last night – and we thank the Tunisian owner of this business enormously for his courage and for allowing free speech to take place,” said Mr . Farage said.
‘What is happening as we speak is he is receiving phone calls from the local mayor, the police are being called to come in and shut this conference down.’
He added: ‘This is what we are up against, we are up against an evil ideology, we are up against a new form of communism – it is nothing less than that.
‘And if anything ever told me that Brexit was the right thing to do.
‘Leaving this place, reclaiming our national sovereignty – even if we could have done it better – recognizing that you cannot be an independent, democratic, self-governing nation-state and a member of this monstrous union with its ideology behind it.
“Today has told me, I will never forget it, we had the right to leave, without a doubt.”
Police for the Brussels district of Saint-Josse, where the venue is located, confirmed to the AFP news agency that they had been instructed by the local mayor to notify the organizers of a ban.
“We are taking all necessary operational measures to prevent public disturbance,” police spokeswoman Audrey Dereymaeker said.
Speaking as he left the venue after finishing his conference speech, Mr Farage told reporters: ‘What has happened here… where there is global media, we can see that legitimate opinions from people who are going to win national election, is no longer acceptable here in Brussels, the home of globalism.
‘Cause if you don’t agree to ever closer union, you must be a bad thing.’
John O’Brien, head of communications at the MCC think tank, one of the joint organizers of the event, dismissed the closure order as ‘Orwellian’.
He said the apparent rationale was over public safety concerns, with anti-fascist protesters planning to protest at the site later in the day.
The Belgian League for Human Rights is among the groups opposing the event.
‘Freedom of speech can certainly apply to everyone within the bounds of the law, but that doesn’t mean we have to open our homes to the far right,’ it said in a statement last week.
As well as Ms Braverman, the conference was also due to hear from Conservative MP Miriam Cates on Tuesday, while Mr Orban was due to speak tomorrow.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had faced pressure to block Ms Braverman’s attendance at the conference.
Labor shadow minister Jonathan Ashworth is calling on Sunak to stop the former home secretary from “giving oxygen to these divisive and dangerous individuals”.
During Boris Johnson’s government in 2020, Conservative backbencher Daniel Kawczynski was reprimanded for attending a national conservatism conference in Rome.
At the time, a Tory spokesman condemned the views of some other speakers, including Mr Orban.
Both Ms Braverman and Ms Cates spoke at the National Conservatism Conference in London last year, which was disrupted by protesters.