Traffic across parts of northern Brussels is set to be disrupted today between 13:00 and 17:00, mainly in the areas around Brussels-North station, the Northern Quarter and the Tour & Taxis district as the result of a march against "racism and the far-right".
Demonstrators will gather at 14:00 on Boulevard Simon Bolivar, near Brussels-North station, with the march proceeding towards the Tour & Taxis site, where a series of speeches are planned at the Obelisk of Human Rights.
The March Against Racism, organised by the 'Sta op Tegen Racisme - Lève-toi contre le Racisme' (Stand up against racism) platform, comes as a response to a series of violent attacks coordinated by far-right football hooligans in the Brussels municipality of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean on 4 May.
During the Belgian Cup final between FC Bruges and Sporting Anderlecht, the hooligans swept through the streets of the Brussels municipality, and several other neighbourhoods, attacking citizens in an organised and violent manner, causing serious injuries. Three men have since been charged in connection with the attacks, which left 80 injured, including four police officers.
Credit: Belga / Marius Burgelmans
The organisers of the event believe that the attacks are the result of a political climate fostered by Belgium's current ruling coalition, which has promised a tougher stance on migration and social spending.
"Coupled with stigmatising statements by certain politicians attacking Brussels and its diverse population, this political context continues to fuel and even legitimise identity-based and racist ideologies, encouraging violent acts such as those we sadly witnessed on Sunday 4 May," the organisers said in a statement.
