Happy NatCon day, one and all. Yes, it’s that time of year again, when some of Europe’s most vocal right-wing exponents get together in a room for the annual National Conservatism conference. Last year’s shindig was in Westminster and spawned numerous headlines about Miriam Cates and Lee Anderson. This time though it’s being held in Brussels: home of well-paid Eurocrats and overzealous officials. Where better to make a stand for conservatism?
Among those flying the flag for Britain is keynote speaker Suella Braverman and longtime MEP Nigel Farage. But the former Ukip leader encountered some difficulty this morning after arriving on stage at the Claridge venue in the Belgian capital. For the Brussels police then turned up to try to shut NatCon down, with organisers claiming they had been given just fifteen minutes to stop the conference on the grounds of potential ‘public disorder.’
The Claridge was already the conference’s third venue, after its first space – Concert Noble – turned them away under pressure from the Socialist Mayor of Brussels Philippe Close. The liberal mayor of Etterbeek then put pressure on the luxury Sofitel hotel to cancel it at the second attempt. Police are now lining the door, preventing people entering, including MEP Patricia Chagnon and, most recently, Eric Zemmour, leader of French right-wing party Reconquête. The NatCon organisers have since announced they will be legally challenging the order to shut down the event. Farage has meanwhile left the stage and is now doing a media tour, comparing the shutdown to Soviet Russia.
Even the Prime Minister of Belgium, Alexander De Croo, was outraged, tweeting on Tuesday evening:
What happened at the Claridge today is unacceptable. 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.
See below for the bizarre scenes that unfolded today…
NEW: Cops have shown up at NatCon in Brussels while Nigel Farage is delivering his speech. The Mayor has ordered the event to be shut down / organisers have 15 minutes to make attendees leave. pic.twitter.com/ON33DS0rxv
— Martina Bet (@martinabettt) April 16, 2024
The absolute state of #freespeech in Europe. Arriving to deliver a speech on a highly controversial topic – the crisis of faith and family in Europe – and this is what I face. More to come… pic.twitter.com/TEbpaugLFR
— Paul Coleman (@Paul_B_Coleman) April 16, 2024
And there’s more…
This is what cancel culture looks like. And those cheering it on should be very careful … the winds can change direction very quickly. pic.twitter.com/BcUcquskm6
— Paul Coleman (@Paul_B_Coleman) April 16, 2024
And more…
UNBELIEVABLE. The EU & Brussels mayor are about to shut down the @NatConTalk event with Nigel Farage still on stage. They are so scared of the discussion they’re shutting it down!! pic.twitter.com/b0gwZ8jBJG
— Matt Goodwin (@GoodwinMJ) April 16, 2024
Watch footage from outside the conference here:
UPDATE: The entrance of the venue is still under a police barricade. Delegates can leave, but they cannot return. #NatConBrussels2 pic.twitter.com/kTQzvHW4TI
— National Conservatism (@NatConTalk) April 16, 2024
