There is a large police presence at the Flemish Parliament in Brussels to manage the demonstration against the arrival of Jordan Bardella, chairman of the French radical right-wing party Rasseblement National. There are also at least five combination vehicles and a water cannon ready in case things get out of hand. For security reasons, parliament has stopped its work.
The demonstrators are calling en masse to demonstrate for the second time against Bardella’s visit to Brussels. Vlaams Belang invited the Frenchman to speak in the Flemish Parliament. Videos calling for “Round 2” have been circulating on social media after the RN politician gave a lecture at the Hungarian House in Brussels in 2024. That demonstration got completely out of hand. Not only did the police have to use water cannon several times, 40 people were also arrested.
Demonstrators heading towards Madouplein today, where the demonstration is taking place, are being preventively checked by the police. There are several police units present at the visitors’ entrance of the Flemish Parliament, and a little further on there is also a water cannon. The surrounding Park and Madou metro stations are also closed to the general public.
