Nigel Farage today blasted “monstrous” efforts to prevent a gathering of right-wing politicians in Brussels and warned: “We are facing a new form of communism.
The former UKIP leader has hit out at an attempt by police and a local mayor in the Belgian capital to cancel a conference on “national conservatism”.
As well as Mr Farage, speakers at the two-day event were also expected to include former interior minister Suella Braverman and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
But the event was plunged into chaos as local authorities worked frantically to put an end to it.
Emir Kir, mayor of the Brussels district of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, declared that he had issued a decree prohibiting the holding of the national conservatism conference “in order to guarantee public security”.
“In Etterbeek, Brussels City and Saint-Josse, the extreme right is not welcome,” he added.
Police officers were seen inside the “Claridge” event venue around noon while speaking with conference organizers.
Nigel Farage blasted ‘monstrous’ efforts to prevent gathering of right-wing politicians in Brussels and warned: ‘We are facing a new form of communism’
Tony Gilland, of the MCC Brussels think tank, which organized the conference, is pictured speaking to police officers
Mr Farage claimed police and a local mayor in the Belgian capital were trying to cancel the ‘National Conservatism’ rally
As he began his speech, Mr Farage said the events of the past few hours had reminded him why Britain was “right to leave” the Brussels-based European Union.
Speakers at the two-day event also included former interior minister Suella Braverman before the conference descended into chaos.
As he began his speech amid chaos, Mr Farage said the events of the past few hours had reminded him why Britain was “right to leave” the Brussels-based European Union.
Speaking on his first official trip to the Belgian capital since Britain left the EU, Mr Farage said: “What has happened in the last 48 hours is simply monstrous.”
He detailed 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 public by now is that this venue, which accepted this booking last night – and we warmly thank the Tunisian owner of this business for his courage and for allowing the freedom to ‘expression,’ said Mr. Farage said.
“What’s happening as we speak is he’s getting phone calls from the local mayor, the police are being encouraged to come in and break up this conference.”
He added: ‘This is what we are facing, we are facing an evil ideology, we are facing a new form of communism – it is nothing less than that.
“And if anything ever told me Brexit was the right thing to do.
“That leaving this place, regaining our national sovereignty – even though we could have done it better – than recognizing that you cannot be an independent, democratic, self-governing nation-state and member of this monstrous union with its ideology behind it.
“Today, I said it, I will never forget it, we were right to leave, without a doubt.”
Police in 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 avoid disturbances to public order,” said police spokesperson Audrey Dereymaeker.
John O’Brien, head of communications at think tank MCC, one of the event’s co-organizers, called the closure order “Orwellian.”
He said the apparent justification was related to public safety concerns, with anti-fascist protesters planning to demonstrate at the scene later in the day.
The Belgian League for Human Rights is one of the groups opposed to the event.
“Freedom of expression can indeed apply to everyone, within the limits of the law, but that does not mean we have to open our door to the far right,” he said in a statement last week.
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