The National Conservatism Conference reported that police in Brussels arrived at the event with an order to shut down the event. Authorities claimed that the decision was made to avoid public disturbances. However, the conference insisted that it is a peaceful event.
People such as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, French leader Eric Zemmour and former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki had confirmed their attendance to the conference.
Police have arrived at the venue with an order to shut NatCon down for creating a public disturbance.
The conference is extremely peaceful. There is absolutely no public disturbance. Guests, including esteemed scholars and elected leaders, are enjoying hearing civilized… pic.twitter.com/RaGWbQAohf
— National Conservatism (@NatConTalk) April 16, 2024
Although apparently the event went on as scheduled, the conference indicated, "The police are not letting anyone in. People can leave, but they cannot return. Delegates have limited access to food and water, which are being prevented from delivery. Is this what city mayor [Emir Kir] is aiming for?"
UPTATE: The police are not letting anyone in. People can leave, but they cannot return. Delegates have limited access to food and water, which are being prevented from delivery. Is this what city mayor @emir_kir is aiming for?
— National Conservatism (@NatConTalk) April 16, 2024
Meanwhile, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán criticized the act and argued that it is an attempt to violate freedom of speech. "I guess they couldn’t take free speech any longer. The last time they wanted to silence me with the police was when the Communists set them on me in ‘88. We didn’t give up then and we will not give up this time either!" wrote Orbán on X.
The Belgian police decided to shut down the @NatConTalk conference in #Brussels, just two hours after it started. I guess they couldn’t take free speech any longer. The last time they wanted to silence me with the police was when the Communists set them on me in ‘88. We didn’t…
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) April 16, 2024
Similar were the comments of French leader Eric Zemmour, who posted a video showing how police blocked entry to the event:
At this very moment, the socialist mayor Emir Kir, close to Turkish Islamists, is using the police as a private militia to ban the Brussels conference to which I am invited together with Viktor Orban and Nigel Farage.
British politician and Brexit booster Nigel Farage argued that "what just happened in Brussels this afternoon was a disgrace. For the Mayor and police to shut down a peaceful political event makes me more convinced of Brexit than ever."
Meanwhile, several leftists scoffed at what happened. For example, members of the Labour Party in the United Kingdom made fun of the police locking the doors at the conservative event.
All giggles on the Labour frontbench over cops breaking up the National Conservatism conference pic.twitter.com/W0ZNZnM10S
— Jack Elsom (@JackElsom) April 16, 2024
NatCon, as its website explains, brings together public figures, journalists, academics and students who "understand that the past and future of conservatism are inextricably tied to the idea of the nation, to the principle of national independence, and to the revival of the unique national traditions that alone have the power to bind a people together and bring about their flourishing."
The National Conservatism Conference is a project of the Edmund Burke Foundation, a public affairs institute founded in January 2019 with the goal of strengthening the principles of national conservatism in the West and other democratic countries.
