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Brussels police ordered to attend a right wing conference attended by Braverman and Farage

(213 Posts)
Whitewavemark2 Tue 16-Apr-24 14:54:09

Orban is also in attendance.

The police are allowing no one else to enter the premises.

Listening to Farage there is a worrying paper-thin line between his rhetoric and 1930s propaganda.

No wonder the authorities are worried.

Urmstongran Tue 16-Apr-24 19:13:56

Not a good look for Brussels - and I’m sure tv coverage around the world will reinforce this. And ha! Trump will get to hear of this via Farage. European leaders are being quoted as being aghast at this debacle.

Namsnanny Tue 16-Apr-24 19:20:27

What I dislike is the way everyone dives into their corners to defend their political positions by attacking their opposites.

Urmstongran Tue 16-Apr-24 19:22:59

Voltaire: "I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”

Mayor of Brussels: "I disagree with what you say, and will not allow you or anyone else to say it". Thank God we left.

Chocolatelovinggran Tue 16-Apr-24 19:28:56

Viktor Orban limits press freedom, curtails opposition and has been quoted "Hungarians are not a mixed race and do not wish to be a mixed race".
Freedom of speech is only permitted if it concurs with his world view, in his country, so it might be a little disingenuous of him to attend a meeting and expect people to be allowed to express views at odds with the place in which that event is held.

Urmstongran Tue 16-Apr-24 19:37:16

Actually the Mayor of Brussels has given Farage more oxygen and tv coverage by banning the event than it would have garnered otherwise. What an own goal! Back of the net stuff.
⚽️🤣

Mamardoit Tue 16-Apr-24 19:41:45

Namsnanny

What I dislike is the way everyone dives into their corners to defend their political positions by attacking their opposites.

That's what political debate entails. What worries me is people demonizing and trying to cancel anyone who doesn't agree with them. Free speech is only allowed when they agree with what's being said.

Cossy Tue 16-Apr-24 19:42:44

Namsnanny

What I dislike is the way everyone dives into their corners to defend their political positions by attacking their opposites.

I agree! Politics is a far dirtier game than ever. I simply want to know what any party can do to keep ours and other countries safe, peaceful and stable and ensuring all have a roof over their heads, access to good wholesome food, education and health.

I’m just not interested in hearing what so and so did and who ruined everything anymore, it’s just irrelevant!

Cossy Tue 16-Apr-24 19:44:00

Urmstongran

Voltaire: "I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”

Mayor of Brussels: "I disagree with what you say, and will not allow you or anyone else to say it". Thank God we left.

Yes, we left, so what are Braverman and Farage actually doing over in Brussels?

Mamardoit Tue 16-Apr-24 19:47:11

They are both Conservatives so why shouldn't they be there?

Mamardoit Tue 16-Apr-24 19:47:59

Maybe they were invited to speak.

MayBee70 Tue 16-Apr-24 19:54:00

Mamardoit

They are both Conservatives so why shouldn't they be there?

I think that National Conservatism is a worldwide movement that isn’t actually the Conservative Party as we know it.

Urmstongran Tue 16-Apr-24 20:01:29

Farage earlier this evening:

“ A new venue was found, but despite best efforts, that option too was closed off. Having one venue cancel I could live with, but two is absolutely outrageous. Yet we hadn’t even reached the lowest point. On arrival at the third venue, the mood was tense and we were told by security that the police were on their way to stop people from entering!”

- as I said upthread - mob handed.

Urmstongran Tue 16-Apr-24 20:08:06

The most satisfying thing that happened for me, was witnessing Wes Streeting, and that shirt button Jonathan Ashcroft, air their B-list, inaccurate, crass comments.

Labour are consistent - consistently wrong.

And it turns out that there were all sorts of very respectable people at this event, European royalty , heads of governments, business leaders and elected politicians. These idiotic mayors in various parts of the city of Bruessels colluded to stop it happening and sent the police in.

Not exactly a good look for Brussels, it's somewhat farcical but then the owner of the third venue they moved to was threatened and the caterers etc too.

So all rather sinister in the end.

Casdon Tue 16-Apr-24 20:12:07

Mamardoit

They are both Conservatives so why shouldn't they be there?

Braverman is paid as an MP, she should have been in parliament today. Farage isn’t a politician, he’s a free agent so he can do whatever, so long as it’s lawful.

MayBee70 Tue 16-Apr-24 20:15:14

Casdon

Mamardoit

They are both Conservatives so why shouldn't they be there?

Braverman is paid as an MP, she should have been in parliament today. Farage isn’t a politician, he’s a free agent so he can do whatever, so long as it’s lawful.

I agree. My first thought was ‘why isn’t she in parliament today’. Then again all they were discussing in parliament was the demise of theUK’s rail industry so nothing that she’d be particularly interested in given that she couldn’t blame it on migrants or foreigners.

Cossy Tue 16-Apr-24 20:15:48

Urmstongran

The most satisfying thing that happened for me, was witnessing Wes Streeting, and that shirt button Jonathan Ashcroft, air their B-list, inaccurate, crass comments.

Labour are consistent - consistently wrong.

And it turns out that there were all sorts of very respectable people at this event, European royalty , heads of governments, business leaders and elected politicians. These idiotic mayors in various parts of the city of Bruessels colluded to stop it happening and sent the police in.

Not exactly a good look for Brussels, it's somewhat farcical but then the owner of the third venue they moved to was threatened and the caterers etc too.

So all rather sinister in the end.

Whatever my feelings are and are not about this conference, whilst I agree it was wrong to prevent it, whoever organised it certainly didn’t do their research and homework. This conference clearly wasn’t welcome in Brussels! Why not hold it elsewhere ?

Simply labelling anyone Labour as inconsistently wrong is just childish. At this point I could mention the countless and “consistent” mistakes our current government have made!

Cossy Tue 16-Apr-24 20:20:28

Casdon

Mamardoit
“They are both Conservatives so why shouldn't they be there?
Braverman is paid as an MP, she should have been in parliament today. Farage isn’t a politician, he’s a free agent so he can do whatever, so long as it’s lawful.”

Braverman should either have been in parliament or serving her voters in her constituency!

Farage can do whatever he likes!

Mamardoit Tue 16-Apr-24 20:23:41

Someone decided to hold it in London last year. It passed me by! Why not hold it in another European capital? Belgium is a free western democracy. It should welcome free speech not shut it down.

Cossy Tue 16-Apr-24 20:25:49

Mamardoit

Someone decided to hold it in London last year. It passed me by! Why not hold it in another European capital? Belgium is a free western democracy. It should welcome free speech not shut it down.

Oh I completely agree, in theory you’re absolutely right, but clearly Belgium didn’t welcome it (wrongly imo)

MayBee70 Tue 16-Apr-24 20:41:25

As far as I’m concerned Braverman and Farages politics are far to the right and people should be wary of them. At least people might now discuss what National Conservatism actually is.

GrannyGravy13 Tue 16-Apr-24 20:44:11

Please think seriously, the next conference to be cancelled could be something that you agree with…

MayBee70 Tue 16-Apr-24 20:59:31

The very fact that the name Enoch Powell crops up when National Conservatism is mentioned strikes me with dread, especially when I think of some of the inflammatory language used by Braverman.

Urmstongran Tue 16-Apr-24 21:05:34

Very good point GG13, 👏

Urmstongran Tue 16-Apr-24 21:08:43

Cossy

Urmstongran

The most satisfying thing that happened for me, was witnessing Wes Streeting, and that shirt button Jonathan Ashcroft, air their B-list, inaccurate, crass comments.

Labour are consistent - consistently wrong.

And it turns out that there were all sorts of very respectable people at this event, European royalty , heads of governments, business leaders and elected politicians. These idiotic mayors in various parts of the city of Bruessels colluded to stop it happening and sent the police in.

Not exactly a good look for Brussels, it's somewhat farcical but then the owner of the third venue they moved to was threatened and the caterers etc too.

So all rather sinister in the end.

Whatever my feelings are and are not about this conference, whilst I agree it was wrong to prevent it, whoever organised it certainly didn’t do their research and homework. This conference clearly wasn’t welcome in Brussels! Why not hold it elsewhere ?

Simply labelling anyone Labour as inconsistently wrong is just childish. At this point I could mention the countless and “consistent” mistakes our current government have made!

True Cossy. It was a childish remark by me. I expect better of myself. 😁

My first paragraph still stands though.

Casdon Tue 16-Apr-24 21:12:50

GrannyGravy13

Please think seriously, the next conference to be cancelled could be something that you agree with…

I think that’s quite doubtful to be fair, I don’t think most Gransnetters have extreme views, whether they are left or right of centre, some do of course, but it’s a small minority from what I’ve seen.
Regardless, I don’t think any MP should be bunking off the day job to attend a conference or other political activity that is not aligned to the policies of their own party in the UK.