Nigel Farage has hit out at “cancel culture” after officers moved to shut down the National Conservatism conference in Brussels.
Local officials arrived as the former Brexit Party leader was finishing a speech at the event, which is also due to hear from Hungary’s pro-Putin leader Viktor Orbán and two Conservative MPs.
Politics Live: Police turn up at conference while Nigel Farage on stage
Emir Kir, the mayor of Brussels district Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, said he had issued an order banning the conference from taking place on Tuesday “to guarantee public safety”.
He added: “In Etterbeek, in Brussels City and in Saint-Josse, the far-right is not welcome.”
Tory MP Suella Braverman, who was sacked as home secretary last year, was also due to speak on Tuesday as well as Conservative MP Miriam Cates.
Conference organisers said they were launching a legal challenge to Mr Kir’s order, adding: “There is no public disturbance and no grounds to shut down a gathering of politicians, intellectuals, journalists, students, civic leaders, and concerned citizens.
“The police entered the venue on our invitation, saw the proceedings and the press corps, and quickly withdrew. Is it possible they witnessed how peaceful the event is?”
Police officers arrived two hours into the event near the city’s European Quarter to inform organisers it must close.
Officers did not appear to force the event to shut down and speeches continued.
Sky’s political correspondent Darren McCaffery, who is at the scene, said police initially told the venue owner that if the building isn’t evacuated they will start removing people.
Nigel Farage gestures as he gives a keynote speech
Pic: Reuters
However, they later said they “would not be dragging people out” and instead the tactic…
