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Free speech prevails over censorship and cancel culture

When local authorities shut down the National Conservatism conference in Brussels, we were there to provide a winning legal defence. Help us secure more victories today!

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Free speech PREVAILS for “NatCon”: Belgian court strikes down order shuttering conservative conference

The Belgian justice system has acted to protect the freedoms of speech and assembly with a decisive emergency late-night ruling in favour of the conference on National Conservativism.

The conference, scheduled for April 16-17th, will be free to meet today for its second day without further interference from state authorities, the Conseil d’État, the highest court in Belgium relating to issues of public administration, has ruled.

The program features several elected officials and high-profile public figures, including UK parliamentarian Miriam Cates, former UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman, and German Cardinal Ludwig Müller.

A legal challenge was filed by conference organisers, with support from ADF International, regarding the authorities’ decision to prohibit the conference, hosted in Brussels, from continuing since 12pm on 16th April. The venue was surrounded by police, and speakers and guests outside were denied access.

“No official should have the power to shut down free and peaceful assembly merely because he disagrees with what is being said. How can Brussels claim to be the heart of Europe if its officials only allow one side of the European conversation to be heard?"
Paul Coleman
Executive Director of ADF International, and speaker at "NatCon"
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Police line at NatCon.

Concern for Europe' Freedoms

The conference was cancelled by two other venues under political pressure in the days leading up to the event, before securing a third hotel venue near the European Quarter.

“This is what cancel culture looks like.” Here is Paul Coleman’s statement outside of the venue:

Emir Kir, the mayor of the Saint-Josse-ten-Noode district in Brussels who was responsible for sending police to shut down the event, complained that the conference hosted personalities from “the conservative, religious right”. Kir himself was removed from the Socialist Party in Belgium “PS” in January 2020 for meeting with members of “far-right” political organisations which support the AKP government in Turkey, responsible for cracking down on religious freedom and expelling Christian residents from the country.

Belgian lawyer Wouter Vaassen, part of ADF International’s network of lawyers, filed the challenge with support from the free speech-supporting legal group. Reflecting on the decision, he commented:

"The free and peaceful exchange of ideas, and the basic freedom of assembly, are hallmarks of a democratic Europe. That a legal challenge of this kind needed to be mounted simply to be able to gather as a peaceful conference is a disgrace. We must diligently protect our fundamental freedoms lest censorship become the norm in our supposedly free societies."
Wouter Vaassen
ADF International network lawyer

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CENSORED: How European “Hate Speech” Laws are Threatening Free Speech by Paul Coleman, ADF International Executive Director

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