Brussels Protesters Arrested for Defying the Islamization of Europe
TNR has been keeping us up to date on the following story:
Update: HERE is a link from TNR to a news video of the arrests
Police arrest 2 far-right Belgian leaders at anti-Islam 9/11 protest
The Associated Press – IHT
Published: September 11, 2007
BRUSSELS, Belgium: Police arrested two leaders of a Belgian far-right party Tuesday for staging an illegal protest against the “Islamization of Europe,” six years to the day after the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.
Police scuffled with some of the 200 people who converged on two squares in the EU district of Brussels to protest against what they perceived as the rise of Islam as a significant political force across Europe. Officers handcuffed two leaders of the far-right Flemish Interest Party, which is very critical of Muslim immigrants, and took them away in police vans.
Protesters sought to use the Sept. 11 anniversary to point out that Islam threatens democracy and the rule of law in Europe.
The demonstration was initially planned by Stop Islamization of Europe, a loose alliance with roots in Germany, Britain and Denmark, which had predicted that 20,000 people would come to Brussels from all over Europe.
Brussels Mayor Freddy Thielemans banned the protest last month, calling SIOE an inflammatory group and its proposed demonstration a threat to public order. An appeals court upheld the ban Aug. 29.
Only 200 or so protesters showed up Tuesday for a protest lasting only 30 minutes. The demonstrators faced more than 100 police, backed up by water cannons and helicopters, who closed off streets around the EU headquarters.
Brussels Police Arrests Demonstrators and Politicians
From the desk of The Brussels Journal on Tue, 2007-09-11 14:42
While our editor Paul Belien is still entangled in the SIOE-demonstration in Brussels, we bring you a report by Baron Bodissey from Gates of Vienna, who has been monitoring the situation and who has been in contact by telephone with some of the demonstrators – LVB
12:29 CET
I just received a phone call from Aeneas, a British blogger who is in Brussels for the SIOE demonstration. It was hard to hear him during our conversation due to the sirens in the background.
The demonstration is proceeding, and, despite the rumors in advance, the Brussels police are not allowing the demonstrators to protest without hindrance. People are being dragged away by the police and put into buses.
Flyboy then got on the phone and told me that riot police have been deployed, and that dogs and water cannon are being used against the demonstrators. There has been no violence except by the police. I could hear the demonstrators chanting and dogs barking in the background.
Paul Belien of the Brussels Journal was the next person to talk to me. He says that there are maybe 500 demonstrators in Schuman Square, and that many of those are being arrested and carried away. He has seen Danish, Swedish, British, American, and Canadian flags on display.
There is a large contingent of Vlaams Belang (the Flemish separatist party) at the demonstration, and the party’s leaders are among those arrested. Mr. Belien says that the president of the party, Frank Venhecke, was beaten to the ground by the police, arrested, and put into a bus.
It seems that the police are trying to arrest everybody at the demonstration. I will add updates when I hear more.
12:54 CET
According to Flyboy, there are video cameras from local media everywhere, so we should eventually see this in the news.
So far there is nothing about it on Google News.
13:02 CET
This just came up in via Google News, from Expatica:
Dewinter to attend banned protestVlaams Belang figureheads Filip Dewinter and Frank Vanhecke plan to take part in the banned demonstration against the “Islamisation of Europe” on the Schumanplein in Brussels.
“We will look at what the situation is, but our plan is to join the protest,” says party chairman Vanhecke, who, as member of the European Parliament, will also be receiving the organisation’s list of demands.
“It is not our demonstration, but we sympathise with the aims. I also expect that quite a few of our people will be there.”
On its website the party distances itself from “marginal and obscure neo-Nazi groups that might try to steal the spotlight.”
As reported earlier (see below), Frank Vanhecke is among those arrested.
13:45 CET
Henrik, in the comments, has this to say:
I just got a phone call from a friend of mine. They heard rumours of arrests, but they’re fine, no mass arrests where they are. They are debating if they dare put up their banners.The story from Paul sounds solid, too. Could there be two separate groups?
That might be the case. But when I spoke to my contacts on the phone, all three reported that police were using their batons while they arrested people and put them in buses.And here’s something I forgot to report earlier: Aeneas said that people were lying down in front of the police buses, to try to keep them from departing with their cargo of arrested demonstrators.
14:23 CET
I haven’t been able to find any news of this on the web in English, but our Swedish correspondent SD just sent his amended machine translation of an item from Brussel Nieuws (further amendations by me):
Brussels — The organizers of the prohibited anti-Islam meeting have this midday tried to demonstrate in Luxemburg Square. But the police force of Brussels arrested the participators systematically. The Vlaams Belang protests in the meantime in Schuman Square against the meeting prohibition.The police force is massively present in the European Union district to prevent riots. The participators do not get the chance to demonstrate in Luxemburg Square. As soon as they appear they are immediately arrested. Also the foreign press is clearly visible, present on the square. Of the expected thousands of participators is little talk: in Luxemburg Square about 200 people collected, in Schuman Square about ten — especially members of the Vlaams Belang. They protest against the meeting prohibition by Brussels mayor Freddy Thielemans (PS). He prohibited the demonstration because security could not be definitely assured. Vlaams Belang leaders Frank Vanhecke and Philip Dewinter were this midday arrested in Schuman Square and were taken away by the police force.
In spite of a prohibition by some of the organizers of the movement “Stop the Islamisation of Europe” (SIOE), their followers have nevertheless come down on 11 September to Brussels. The activists say they want stop the invasion of Islamic customs into Europe. Of the organizers, German Udo Ulfkotte from Pax Europe officially distanced himself last week from the event.
14:39 CET
The latest word from the field:
I just got a call from Flyboy, and he reports that the demo is over. Marchers who started at Luxemburg Square were prevented from reaching Schuman Square, which is where all the arrests took place. He has video, photos, and interviews, including footage of Vlaams Belang members being beaten to the ground and arrested.
Neither he nor any of the people with him (including Paul Belien and Aeneas) were arrested. The conclusion seems to be that the members of Vlaams Belang were specifically targeted for arrest.
I hope to have some of the visual material before long.
“We support the goals of the demonstration to protest against the lack of freedom of expression in this country,” said Frank Vanhecke, the head of the Flemish Interest Party, before he was bundled off to the police station. “And we also we fully agree that the rise of Islam in Europe poses a risk to our values.”
Explore posts in the same categories: anti dhimmitude, Arrests, dhimmitude, protest, video
11 September, 2007 at 2:02 pm
On the other hand, the left lost one of its own when a “protester” was arrested in the Netherlands.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=cp_fc6h5g7n673&show_article=1
11 September, 2007 at 5:35 pm
The people in that photo all have breasts, which means the people that have balls really have no balls since they failed to show for the show !
11 September, 2007 at 5:48 pm
Did you have a point or not? A simple search would have shown you both male and females were present.
11 September, 2007 at 6:29 pm
Nah, that WAS a photo of the men. Probably too much steroid use… 🙂
(just teasing, of course)
Cheers
11 September, 2007 at 6:31 pm
Look what I stumbled upon:
From the Gates of Vienna:
Here’s a list of the ruling Socialist Party (PS) members of the Brussels city council headed by Mayor Freddy Thielemans.
Of the eighteen PS members, no fewer than ten have obvious Muslim names. It’s possible others may be ‘reverts’.
Thielemans is just a buffoonish front man. Muslims now control the key city at the heart of the European Union.
1. Fatima Abid
2. Mustafa Amrani
3. Samira Attalbi
4. Mohammed Boukantar
5. Philippe Close
6. Jean Baptiste de Crée
7. Ahmed el Ktibi
8. Julie Fiszman
9. Faouzia Hariche
10. Karine Lalieux
11. Marie-Paule Mathias
12. Yvan Mayeur
13. Mounia Mejbar
14. Mohamed Ouria Ghli
15. Mahfoudh Romdhani
16. Sevket Temiz
17. Freddy Thielemans
18. Christian Van Der Linden
Posted by: traeh@ JihadWatch
12 September, 2007 at 10:33 am
From the “Directorate of Communication”
Europe is threatened by bigots – not by Islam
https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?Ref=PR590(2007)&Language=lanEnglish&Ver=original&Site=DC&BackColorInternet=F5CA75&BackColorIntranet=F5CA75&BackColorLogged=A9BACE
9 November, 2008 at 11:36 am
i can’t understand why do you hate islamso much, islam is the religion of peace and love and great valiews …islamis the religion of anti racisme and anti discremination….islam is the religion of respect
just do a little rearsh to know more about it
let your egnorence and pride beside and try to understand
9 November, 2008 at 12:12 pm
salah,
Talk is cheap. When was the last time you protected europe by turning in a radical muslim?
Around here we could care less what muslims say, we watch what they do.
9 November, 2008 at 12:49 pm
The actions of Islam show a religion, and a political structure that is hateful, and violent. I for one think Islam should be outlawed in the West.
Islam worships a false moon god called allah. Goggle it.
ROPMA!
25 December, 2008 at 12:30 pm
No negative comments on Christmas.
Ronin
25 December, 2008 at 1:39 pm
” salah-islam Says:
9 November, 2008 at 11:36 am
i can’t understand why do you hate islamso much, islam is the religion of peace and love and great valiews …islamis the religion of anti racisme and anti discremination….islam is the religion of respect
just do a little rearsh to know more about it
let your egnorence and pride beside and try to understand”
Actually salah
Islam isn’t about peace but submission
Islam isn’t about loving your enemys but killing them
Islam is as racist and dicriminatory as one can get. Look at how Egypts Gov treat Christians and Bahias is that not discriminatory?
Islam also doesnt respect other religions all you have to do is find a islamic website that blasts Christians, Jews, Atheists or other religions. Even on youtube islam disrespects others.
Islam hardly respects other muslims or us non muslims.
We the commentros on this blog have researched islam and seen thier actions. We are islamaphobes because of islamic actions and ideology.
9 March, 2009 at 11:13 pm
i was jewish but became muslim after i study islam closly what media tells u about islam is totally wrong you want to know and understand islam first before you rise your finger on it first study dont just believe media if you do beleive media then you are blinded with eyes
10 March, 2009 at 1:20 am
The media in the West is islams ally. All of us who commentor on this blog and others know of islam from its sources. The Quran, Hadiths and islamic websites.
10 March, 2009 at 1:30 am
Re: “i was jewish but became muslim”
Are you competing for Dhimmi Miliband’s hard-earned title?
http://brianakira.wordpress.com/2009/02/12/the-worlds-dumbest-jew-david-miliband/
23 November, 2010 at 9:47 am
just search i life , yes im not muslim but this is stupid fulltime you guys having something to muslims hey, they are just people too..
23 November, 2010 at 10:11 am
Mind your own business ignorant eurotrash. Go have a drink and play with your genitals in the middle of the street. You fools have already destroyed your countries by importing muslims to pay for your pensions. Did you really think they were going to pay for your pensions when you get old? They hate you, you and the rest of the eurotrash are done, in twenty years you will be fighting for your lives not your pensions.
23 November, 2010 at 10:27 am
Not 65 years ago we had to go over there, to Europe, to eliminate a scourge on humanity called the nazis. Now you euros are doing it all again with a different cast of characters. The world has had enough, more than enough.
23 November, 2010 at 4:53 pm
They are moon god worshipers, and plan murder.
23 November, 2010 at 10:57 am
no misa it is not stupid calling out the insanity and illogic of islam as a system.
moslems are only people when they donot accept jihadist ways.