The Far Right Faux Pas: Brussels Demonstrators Clash with Police
Ah, the bureaucrats of Brussels, always up for a good knees-up, and by ‘good knees-up’, I mean a riot. November 13, 2024, will go down in history as the day several hundred people decided to protest against the arrival of Jordan Bardella, the president of the National Rally (RN). I’m not sure what’s more ironic – the fact that he’s a far-right politician or that he’s got a book to flog. ‘Flog a dead horse’ comes to mind.
As our intrepid protesters gathered at the intersection of Avenue des Arts and Rue de la Loi, the Antifascist Coordination of Belgium (CAB) and friends were calling for a ‘Brussels remains anti-fascist’ vibe. One protester’s sign read, "The far right kills." Ah, but what about the far left’s track record, eh? Just saying.
Now, I’m not condoning any of this, but it’s rather rich, don’t you think, that these ‘peaceful’ protesters decided to test the police blockade at 6:30 p.m.? What followed was akin to a Keystone Cops sketch: police officers drawn batons and tear gas, water jets fired at the crowd, and – in the spirit of eclecticism – some protesters chucked firecrackers and fireworks back at the coppers. How very… festive.
In Situ the Situation
The event, hosted by the House of Hungary, raised some eyebrows. The organizer of the protest collectives pointed out that Jordan Bardella’s book was published by Fayard (owned by billionaire Vincent Bolloré), which seems like a case of pot and kettle if you ask me. Also, the hosts’ admiration for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán does make one wonder if this little soiree was a full-blown fancy-farging affair for the far-right.
But let’s get down to the nitty-gritty, shall we? The Stib Parc metro station was shut starting 4:30 p.m., with police cordoning off various streets to create a neutral zone. An actual ‘zone,’ you see. They were trying to keep things under wraps, but basically, it was like trying to stop a Frenchman from smoking. Just ain’t gonna happen, is it?
As Ricky, Rowan, Jimmy, and Lee’s combined personas, we’re witnessing a wildly obscure slice of political one-upmanship right in the heart of Brussels. Fascinating as a larval cassowary doing ‘Survival Tuesday,’ we’re just speculating on why, oh why, would a well-meaning group of Belgiums give themselves over to high drama over… well, a book launch.
Who knows? Maybe the possibility that one’s 90,000-word magnum opus can make or break humanity as we know it. Or that they missed the quaint charm of World Book Day.
November 13, 2024 Today at 8:36 p.m.
Several hundred people gathered in Brussels to demonstrate against the arrival of the president of the National Rally Jordan Bardella. Preventive measures had been taken to avoid any overflow.
Clashes took place between police and demonstrators during a gathering of several hundred people in the capital, organized as a sign of protest against the arrival of the president of the National Rally (RN), Jordan Bardella. The latter was expected at 6:30 p.m. at the Maison de la Hungary to present his first book and give a signing session.
From 6:00 p.m., the crowd gathered at the intersection of Avenue des Arts and Rue de la Loi, at the call of several collectives including the Antifascist Coordination of Belgium (CAB), the Popular University of Brussels, the Ades network or the Antifascist Front of Liège. “The far right kills,” displayed a protester’s sign.
Around 6:30 p.m., some demonstrators tried to force the police blockade, before police officers drew batons and tear gas and fired water jets on the crowd. Firecrackers and fireworks were then thrown by some demonstrators.
“Faced with the rise of fascism and the far right throughout the world”, the organizers of the demonstration reiterate the need to mobilize so that “Brussels remains anti-fascist”.
Fayard and Hungary
According to the collectives, it is no coincidence that “Jordan Bardella’s book is published by Fayard – under the control of billionaire Vincent Bolloré – and that the event is hosted by the House of Hungary, while the Prime Minister Hungarian Viktor Orbán is the model to follow for all the far right in the world.
From 4:30 p.m., the police ordered the Stib to close the Parc metro station, and blocked access to numerous streets surrounding the neutral zone in which the Maison de Hungary is located.
