The Catholic Herald: Cardinal Müller Takes to Stage Despite Police Trying to Close National Conservatism Conference as Political Crackdown Escalates in Brussels

The Catholic Herald, April 16, 2024

Dramatic scenes in Brussels (Tuesday) at the National Conservatism conference offered a harrowing harbinger of what a police state in the heart of Europe might look like.

After the conference began, local Brussels police suddenly arrived at the Claridge building hosting the conference, and proceeded to set up a barricades in front of the event venue, preventing any further attendees, journalists or speakers from accessing the event, reports local media Brussels Signal.

Eric Zemmous, the French politician, who was due to appear at the conference but was barred from entering when he turned up, said the city’s left-wing mayor had deployed the police like a “private militia” to stop a conservative conference from happening in Brussels.

As the situation escalated, eventually Belgium Prime Minister Alexander De Croo felt compelled to speak out:

“What happened at the Claridge today is unacceptable,” the Belgium Prime Minister said on X. “Municipal autonomy is a cornerstone of our democracy but can never overrule the Belgian constitution guaranteeing the freedom of speech and peaceful assembly since 1830. Banning political meetings is unconstitutional. Full stop.” ….

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