Far-right figureheads not welcome in Molenbeek, Anderlecht and Sint-Joost-ten-Node
The far-right Flemish politician Filip Dewinter (Vlaams Belang) and leader of the far-right Dutch party PVV Geert Wilders were declared persona non grata by the mayors of three Brussels municipalities on Friday. Several weeks ago, Mr Dewinter and Mr Wilders had announced that they planned to visit Sint-Jans-Molenbeek, a municipality with a sizeable Muslim population today.
As was the case in 2017 when the then Mayor of Molenbeek Françoise Schepmans (Francophone liberal) banned Mr Dewinter and Mr Wilders from embarking on a so-called “Islam Safari” through Molenbeek, the current Mayor Catherine Moureaux (Francophone socialist) banned their planned walk in Molenbeek to protect public order.
The neighbouring municipality of Anderlecht also banned Mr Wilders and Mr Dewinter from visting today. A third Brussels municipality, Sint-Joost-Ten-Node, followed suit.
The headquarters of Vlaams Belang is just inside Sint-Joost-ten-Node. As Mr Dewinter and Mr Wilders made their way from the Flemish Parliament to the Madouplein in Sint-Joost-ten-Node they were stopped by the local police chief, who told them that they were banned from entering the municipality. They then turned around without incident.
Mr Wilders and Mr Dewinter intend to go the Council of State to get the ban on them entering Molenbeek overturned.