Brussels’ socialist mayor is “collaborating” with extremists on the political Left to disrupt a conservative conference, organisers of the event have claimed.
Those sitting on the conference committee of the National Conservatism conference due to take place this coming week say that Socialist Party mayor, Philippe Close, actively put pressure on the conference’s venue to pull out of the event.
This was allegedly done alongside elements of the radical Left, including at least one so-called “antifa” group.
Such efforts were reportedly successful, with the Concert Noble in Etterbeek no longer set to act as host to the event.
“Tragically and shamefully, it has become apparent that the political establishment in Brussels is actively collaborating with Left-wing extremists to prevent the free expression of political ideas and opinions in the city,” Frank Furedi, one of the event organisers as well as the Executive Director of MCC Brussels, told Brussels Signal.
He went on to claim that the city was now under occupation “by forces hostile to free speech and democracy”, with a press release from MCC Brussels listing the involvement of a “self-described antifascist group” in the campaign.
“This amounts to a failure at the heart of the European Union to preserve the right of all citizens to assemble and freely discuss and express political ideas,” he went on to say.
Other sources close to the organising committee told Brussels Signal that while the venue had pulled out, another location had already been secured, and that claims the event had been “cancelled” were incorrect.
Organisers were adamant that the event would go ahead, with the conference set to star numerous figures from the European Right, including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, former Conservative Party Home Secretary Suella Braverman, and French populist firebrand Éric Zemmour.
Brussels Signal has approached Close’s office for comment.