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Belgian mayor orders halt to NatCon conference attended by Braverman Belgian mayor orders halt to NatCon conference attended by Braverman
(30 minutes later)
Nigel Farage and Suella Braverman speak at Brussels event as mayor issues order on public safety groundsNigel Farage and Suella Braverman speak at Brussels event as mayor issues order on public safety grounds
Authorities in Brussels have ordered the closure of a radical right conference that was addressed by British politicians including Nigel Farage and Suella Braverman.Authorities in Brussels have ordered the closure of a radical right conference that was addressed by British politicians including Nigel Farage and Suella Braverman.
Emir Kir, the mayor of the Saint-Josse-ten-Noode district in Brussels, said an order had been issued banning the National Conservatism conference from taking place on Tuesday “to guarantee public safety”. The order banning the National Conservatism conference from taking place on Tuesday was issued “to guarantee public safety,” according to Emir Kir, the mayor of the Saint-Josse-ten-Noode district in Brussels.
Braverman took to the stage after police had arrived and said the event was being shut down. Braverman, who has sought to cultivate a following on the right in Britain and beyond since she was sacked last year as home secretary, took to the stage after police had arrived to execute the order to shut the event down.
Farage, who spoke before Braverman, claimed police had arrived to execute the shutdown order but had turned away because of the cameras. She began delivering a speech criticising the European convention of human rights, before claiming later that the “thought police, instructed by the mayor of Brussels” had sought to undermine free speech and debate.
Police told reporters that the scene that they would not be dragging people out of the venue but would not be letting anyone else in. Police entered the building after they were invited in by organisers just as Farage was finishing on stage, before then leaving again and preventing others from coming in.
The venue was the conference’s third after others had cancelled bookings in the wake of interventions by local authorities. Organisers told those at the event that the closure of the event would be “gradual” and that they intended to find a new venue for Wednesday. However, they later said on X they were legally challenging the order.
Organisers told those at the event that the closure of the event would be “gradual” and that they intended to find a new venue for Wednesday. NatCon organiser Yoram Hazony announcing the conference would be closed gradually... Nigel Farage and Suella Braverman allowed to speak pic.twitter.com/2a6Vqsxzwc
Farage took the stage to tell those gathered that the owner was coming under pressure from the mayor and that the food for the event had not arrived.Farage took the stage to tell those gathered that the owner was coming under pressure from the mayor and that the food for the event had not arrived.
“This is what we are up against. We are up against an evil ideology. We are up against a new form of communism.” Farage said as he gave a keynote address.“This is what we are up against. We are up against an evil ideology. We are up against a new form of communism.” Farage said as he gave a keynote address.
Rishi Sunak was urged at the weekend to stop Braverman, his former home secretary, from attending the rightwing convention featuring figures who have been under investigation for extremism. The venue was the conference’s third after others had cancelled bookings . An upmarket venue Concert Noble, near the EU Commission and European parliament pulled the plug on Friday after protests from anti-fascist activists.
The conference was then switched to the Sofitel in Place Jourdan, five minutes from the European Council headquarters and a hotel always booked for prime ministers, many of whom will be staying there for a leaders summit in Brussels on Wednesday.
However, opponents of the radical right also questioned the move by local authorities, which was being portrayed as an attack on free speech.
Rishi Sunak had been urged at the weekend to stop Braverman, his former home secretary, from attending the rightwing convention featuring figures who have been under investigation for extremism.
Among others due to appear at the gathering is Viktor Orbán, the Hungarian prime minister and a key ally of Vladimir Putin.Among others due to appear at the gathering is Viktor Orbán, the Hungarian prime minister and a key ally of Vladimir Putin.
In 2020 the Tory MP Daniel Kawczynski was reprimanded under Boris Johnson’s Conservative party leadership for attending a NatCon event in Rome, where Orbán was also a speaker.In 2020 the Tory MP Daniel Kawczynski was reprimanded under Boris Johnson’s Conservative party leadership for attending a NatCon event in Rome, where Orbán was also a speaker.