Around sixty activists from the “Citizen Coalition of Belgium” gathered on Sunday morning in Namur, Liège, Soignies, and Charleroi to protest against the “authoritarianism of the Arizona government.”
In Namur, about ten protesters assembled in front of the Walloon Parliament. Around 15 demonstrators gathered at Saint-Lambert Square in Liège, and a similar number convened at the Grand-Place in Soignies. Lastly, approximately 20 coalition members rallied at Queen Astrid Park in Charleroi, according to the organisers.
The coalition emphasised that it is not affiliated with any political party or trade union. “Our fight transcends all political divides,” they stated. “This is a popular uprising against a system that crushes everyone, whether they are employees, civil servants, self-employed individuals, students, or pensioners. No one is spared, and we will not let authoritarianism take root.”
Moreover, the group believes that the federal government is implementing antisocial reforms, increasingly leading to economic hardship, destroying public services, and infringing on the rights of women and minorities.
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“With the reform of unemployment benefits, many people will end up relying on social services,” said Belinda Croibien, spokesperson for the coalition. “This means that municipalities and citizens will bear the cost.”
“We are not many today, but this action was organised within a few days. We hope to be many more next Sunday because our future depends on it,” she added.
Similar actions will be organised every Sunday morning until at least 31 March, which will be a day of general strike initiated by the FGTB and the CSC, the group further explained. They also plan to expand their presence to other cities, particularly Brussels.
