(Brussels Times) The mayors of Molenbeek, Anderlecht, Schaerbeek and Saint-Josse-ten-Noode have forbidden a Flemish and a Dutch far-right politician, both known for their anti-immigrant stance, from visiting their municipalities on Friday.
On 26 April, Flemish far-right Vlaams Belang politician Filip Dewinter announced that he would like to walk through Molenbeek together with Geert Wilders, the chair of the Party for Freedom (PVV) in the Netherlands.
The announcement followed a statement by Conner Rousseau, the leader of the Flemish socialist Vooruit party, who said that he does “not feel like [he is] in Belgium” when he drives through Molenbeek.
On Thursday evening, however, Molenbeek mayor Catherine Moureaux decided to ban the duo’s “walk” through her municipality and issued a police ordinance forbidding the visit. The ban does not only apply to both populist politicians, but also to all participants, gatherings in the context of the visit, as well as any protesters.
