Brussels right-wing meet resumes after court scraps ban

A Brussels gathering of hard-right European politicians resumed for a second day Wednesday headlined by Hungarian leader Viktor Orban, after a top court scrapped a ban widely denounced as an assault on free speech.

The local mayor in the Brussels district hosting the "national conservatism" conference tried to shut it down Tuesday citing a threat to "public security". Anti-fascist protesters have vowed to target the event.

But Belgium's top administrative court sided with organisers in a hearing early Wednesday. Judges overturned the ban saying it violated the country's constitutional right to peaceful assembly.

Taking the stage to deliver Wednesday's keynote address, Hungarian Prime Minister Orban thundered that "in many European countries, every day, oppression is growing against those who fight for freedom".

"Freedom in Europe and especially in Brussels is in danger," charged Orban, who was headed later in the day to a summit of EU leaders with whom he is frequently at loggerheads.

Despite the shutdown order, the conference -- whose attendees include far-right figures and elected officials from across Europe -- had limped on through Tuesday with police blocking new attendees from entering.

France's firebrand former presidential candidate Eric Zemmour -- among those barred from entering -- finally addressed the gathering on day two.

"Thanks to God, thanks to the pressure we exerted, thanks to the scandal in all of Europe, Europe has shown that it was still the continent of liberal democracy, and of the rule of law," Zemmour told reporters inside the conference.

Emir Kir, the mayor of Brussels' Saint-Josse district, had invoked safety issues for the ban. He also wrote that the far-right -- which is predicted to surge in EU-wide elections in June -- was "not welcome".

His order drew broad condemnation, with Belgium's Prime Minister Alexander De Croo slamming it as "unacceptable", and British counterpart Rishi Sunak calling it "extremely disturbing".

Far-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the "hateful oppression of freedom of expression".

British Brexiteer Nigel Farage, who delivered a headline address to the few hundred participants present on day one, denounced the ban as "monstrous".

- 'Challenging Wokeism' -

Topics up for discussion on day two included "Threats to Faith and Family" and "Challenging Wokeism: An International Matter," with speakers sharing visions of a Christian Europe supposedly under threat from immigration, Islam and the LGBTQ community.

The "NatCon" organisers had been scrambling for a venue since Friday, after its first two choices refused, fearing disruption.

The Saint-Josse mayor said he took note of the court ruling, while defending his initial decision and vowing to remain "vigilant" with regard to any threat to public safety.

Although a risk assessment body had advised him of a "medium-level" threat to the event, the court said the mayor should have responded by reinforcing public security -- not by cancelling a private event.

"The authorities should at least have tried to protect the people exercising their constitutional right to assembly," said the court.

mad-ec/raz/