(16 Apr 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
++AUDIO AS INCOMING++
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Brussels – 16 April 2024
1. Wide of conference venue with shutters closed
2. Former member of European Parliament Nigel Farage arriving
3. Member of British Parliament Suella Braverman arriving
4. Police officer talking to organisers
5. Close of notification paper
6. Police officer explaining to organisers that they have to stop event, UPSOUND (English): "The authorities have decided to stop the event and I am here with the decision, I have the papers here, and I am here to enforce the decision"
7. Police officer handing out documents
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Anthony Gilland, local organiser:
"We have just been served with a public notice of order by the police commissioner, which has been issued by the mayor. We are having it translated so we can understand, one reason that has been given for the order, the only one, is that there will be a counter protest this afternoon, advertised on social media by Antifa, for a starting time about five o’clock. And the idea is that the police is not able to protect free speech in this event, which seems very difficult to understand."
9. Various of police securing venue
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Anthony Gilland, local organiser:
"The police commissioner has just given us a very clear statement, he has been advised not to allow anybody into the venue, and people are obviously free to leave at any point they like, but they have made very, very clear that they are not entering the venue, and they are not forcing anyone to leave."
11. Various of Farage leaving venue
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Nigel Farage, former member of European Parliament:
"I am not going to stay when the police storm the place, and get everybody out. I’m not going to get involved in a fight, but they will be closing this down this afternoon, they have a closure order, the police have it already. And I have experienced cancel culture personally here, I’ve had restaurants would not serve me in Brussels in my last days as an MEP, coffee bars, even the pub I used to use said I could not go there anymore. But what has happened here is now on the stage where there is global media, we can see, that legally held opinions from people who are going to win national elections is no longer acceptable here, in Brussels, the home of globalism, because if you don’t agree with ever closer union, you must be a bad dude."
13. Farage’s car leaving
14. Wide of police securing venue
STORYLINE:
A local mayor decided to block a European Conservative conference in Brussels, as fears of a counter demonstration could disturb public safety.
Emir Kir, mayor of Saint-Joss commune in Brussels ordered police to prevent people from entering the venue where former MEP Nigel Farage, Member of British Parliament Suella Braverman and far right politician and former candidate for French presidential elections Éric Zemmour were due to speak.
The two-day conference on ‘Preserving the Nation-State in Europe’ had to change location three times prior to the event, because of concerns from venue owners and city representatives.
The conference started normally this morning, but police came around midday with a notification from the mayor that the event had to stop.
Rather than forcing everyone out, it was agreed that no one would be allowed in.
"What has happened here is on the stage where there is global media, we can see, that legally held opinions from people who are going to win national elections is no longer acceptable here, in Brussels, the home of globalism," Farage told journalists as he was leaving the venue.
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