Brussels Reporter
  • Home
  • Brussels
  • Europe
    • Europe

      Italy becomes second European country to surpass 100,000…

      March 9, 2021March 9, 2021

      Europe

      Kamala Harris to MEPs: ‘Build a world that…

      March 8, 2021

      Europe

      Anti-coup protesters in Myanmar bombarded with tear gas

      March 8, 2021March 8, 2021

      Europe

      At least 20 dead, 600 wounded in Equatorial…

      March 8, 2021March 8, 2021

      Europe

      Meet the Polish teenager whose cosmetics website is…

      March 8, 2021March 8, 2021

  • Globe
  • Lifestyle
  • Business

Brussels Reporter

  • Home
  • Brussels
  • Europe
    • Europe

      Italy becomes second European country to surpass 100,000…

      March 9, 2021March 9, 2021

      Europe

      Kamala Harris to MEPs: ‘Build a world that…

      March 8, 2021

      Europe

      Anti-coup protesters in Myanmar bombarded with tear gas

      March 8, 2021March 8, 2021

      Europe

      At least 20 dead, 600 wounded in Equatorial…

      March 8, 2021March 8, 2021

      Europe

      Meet the Polish teenager whose cosmetics website is…

      March 8, 2021March 8, 2021

  • Globe
  • Lifestyle
  • Business
Home Brussels Brussels demo attendees should now adopt ‘barrier gestures,’ says adviser
BrusselsFeatured

Brussels demo attendees should now adopt ‘barrier gestures,’ says adviser

by editor June 8, 2020June 8, 2020
June 8, 2020June 8, 2020

People who attended the 10,000-strong protest in Brussels against racism Sunday should respect “barrier gestures” for 15 days as a precaution against spreading coronavirus, the head of the Belgian government’s epidemic contact-tracing strategy, Emmanuel André, said.

In a tweet late on Sunday night he backed the protestors but stressed that “if racism didn’t exist, 10,000 people wouldn’t have had to remind Brussels that we are all equal. To these people, I ask them to strictly respect the barrier gestures for 15 days and to continue their fight all their life.”

The demonstration outside the city’s Palace of Justice court was not officially permitted, but “tolerated” by the city authorities. It began peacefully, but later in the day there was some violence directed at police and sporadic looting. Officers used water cannon and made around 150 arrests.

Organisers said the protest was necessary to highlight systemic racism in Belgium in spite of the pandemic. Mireille-Tseusi Robert, president Bamko-Cran, an anti-racism association, warned that “lives of black people count less in Belgium, as they do in other countries too. Racism against Black people is one of the most shared in the world,” speaking of the widespread use of “black-face”, namely as part of pre-Christmas traditions in the country. 

Regarding the potential for spreading the infection, Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès tweeted her regret that “it has not been possible to find an alternative that respects health regulations and the efforts of those on the front line in the fight against the epidemic.” 

Among the French-speaking liberal movement, Georges-Louis Bouchez, president of the MR party, criticized socialist Brussels mayor, Philippe Close, for failing to enforce hygiene measures. He said that the mayor “had guaranteed to the organizers and to the demonstrators that sanitary measures would be respected. It is clear that he failed to do so.” George-Louis Bouchez also called on Close to “to take responsibility for the consequences of yesterday’s actions.”

The Brussels mayor responded Monday that his administration “had to balance health measures against freedom of expression. When we have demonstrations all over the world, we have to find solutions. Perhaps they [the MR] have a problem with the theme of the demonstration.”

An NV-A MP, Darya Safai, condemned on Twitter the looting and destruction of shops, as well as violence against the police. Ecolo Co-President, Rajae Maouane, underscored that protesters came wearing face masks, while condemning the violent minority, “which should not make us forget the 10,000 who demonstrated with dignity.” 

Source link

previous post
India coronavirus: Patients stranded as Delhi struggles with Covid
next post
World Oceans Day: France increases fines for littering as plastic masks and gloves found on seabed

Related Posts

Marrakech protest march: "Zero tolerance for violence"

December 17, 2018

New year fireworks led to disaster for birds

January 2, 2019

Over 15,000 visitors expected at Brussels Affordable Art...

March 13, 2019

Homeopathy “ineffective, even dangerous” says Test-Achats

May 15, 2019

Yellow Vests march in Brussels – water cannon,...

December 1, 2018

Horsemeat Scandal: Former Spanghero boss sentenced to six...

April 16, 2019

Protesters outside Parliament call for more ambitious climate...

December 18, 2018

European Parliament wants investigation into scam that may...

November 29, 2018

Asia-Pacific Women’s Association to celebrate the Lunar New...

January 29, 2019

Some 16 billion Belgian francs still not exchanged

December 26, 2018
Promotion Image

Recent Posts

  • Zoom founder Eric Yuan transfers $6bn of his shares
  • Italy becomes second European country to surpass 100,000 COVID deaths
  • EU institutions to start vaccinating officials March 22
  • Kamala Harris to MEPs: ‘Build a world that works for women’
  • Anti-coup protesters in Myanmar bombarded with tear gas
Promotion Image

GO!

Lifestyle

  • Scientists are using satellites to count elephants from space for the first time

  • France: Hospital workers demand more resources to fight COVID-19

  • Alexei Navalny: Millions watch jailed critic's 'Putin palace' film

  • Covid vaccine: WHO warns of ‘catastrophic moral failure’

  • Belgium looks good in white

Popular Posts

  • 1

    The death of the city

    July 27, 2020
  • 2

    Amazon directs customers to vaccine misinformation, study finds

    March 5, 2021
  • 3

    Assange fight draws in Trump’s new intel chief Ric Grenell

    February 25, 2020

Editor’s Choices

  • European Parliament will set up vaccination centers for MEPs, staff and locals

    January 21, 2021
  • Why ‘equal access’ to coronavirus vaccines is failing poor countries

    January 20, 2021
  • Merkel era may only just be beginning

    January 16, 2021

Opinions

  • EU institutions to start vaccinating officials March 22

    March 8, 2021
  • Kamala Harris to MEPs: ‘Build a world that works for women’

    March 8, 2021
  • Brussels police to send out plainclothes patrols to counter street harassment

    March 8, 2021

@2018-2021 - Brussels Reporter (www.brusselsreporter.com). All Right Reserved.