A conference on National Conservatism is proceeding today in Brussels after a Belgian court ruled in the event’s favour against a police shutdown ordered by the local mayor, in what has been hailed as a “victory for free speech”.
In a dramatic turn of events, police yesterday barricaded the ‘NatCon Brussels 2’ conference at Claridge event venue on the order of the local mayor, following pressure from left-wing Belgian groups to shut it down. Speakers and attendees were allowed to leave the venue but didn’t permit entry or re-entry.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo described the situation as “unacceptable,” saying that while municipal authority is a “cornerstone” of the country’s democracy, that “can never overrule the Belgian constitution guaranteeing the freedom of speech and peaceful assembly since 1830”.
“Banning political meetings is unconstitutional. Full stop,” he wrote on X.
What happened at the Claridge today is unacceptable. Municipal autonomy is a cornerstone of our democracy but can never overrule the Belgian constitution guaranteeing the freedom of speech and peaceful assembly since 1830. Banning political meetings is unconstitutional.Full stop.
— Alexander De Croo 🇧🇪🇪🇺 (@alexanderdecroo) April 16, 2024
Similarly, a spokesperson for the British Prime Minister described the events as “extremely disturbing,” adding that Rishi Sunak “is very clear that cancelling events or preventing attendance and no-platforming speakers is damaging to free speech and to democracy as a result”.
Organisers National Conservatism mounted an emergency legal challenge against the order to shut down its event at their third venue, which was selected after two previous sites cancelled their booking following left-wing pressure.
The legal challenge was backed by legal advocacy firm, ADF International, and in a late-night ruling, the Conseil d’État, the highest court in Belgium relating to issues of public administration, announced that the conference, scheduled for April 16th-17th, was free to meet today for its second day without interference from state authorities.
In the decision, the court decided that the Belgian Constitution “grants everyone the right to assemble peacefully,” and although the mayor has the authority to make police ordinances in case of “serious disturbance of the public peace or other unforeseen events,” in this case there was no sufficient threat of violence to justify this.
The court argued that “it does not seem possible to infer from the contested decision that a peace-disrupting effect is attributed to the congress itself”. Rather, as the decision notes, “the threat to public order seems to be derived purely from the reactions that its organisation might provoke among opponents”.
Executive Director of ADF International, Paul Coleman said that in allowing the conference to proceed, the Belgian court had “come down on the side of basic human rights”.
“While common sense and justice have prevailed, what happened yesterday is a dark mark on European democracy. No official should have the power to shut down free and peaceful assembly merely because he disagrees with what is being said,” Mr Coleman said.
“How can Brussels claim to be the heart of Europe if its officials only allow one side of the European conversation to be heard?”
The conference is currently underway, with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán addressing those assembled alongside a host of well-known conservative figures.