Around 70 people gathered on Leuven's Oude Markt on Monday evening ahead of the city council meeting to protest against homophobic and transphobic violence, calling for the creation of a "purple point", a safe space for people to go out without fear.
The protest, marked by loud chanting and powerful megaphones, forced Mayor Mohamed Ridouani to leave the council session early.
Speaking on Tuesday, Ridouani said he suffered ear pain after a demonstrator shouted into his ear with a megaphone. "I had my hands over my ears for protection," he explained. "When I reached the entrance of the building, I thought I'd passed the protesters. I took my hands away, and just then someone jumped behind me and shouted into my ear. I felt a sharp pain that didn’t go away for hours."
The mayor said he would file a complaint against the protesters. He was due to see a specialist on Tuesday after waking up with persistent pain and ringing in his ear. Ridouani stressed that he "100% supports" the activists' message and the goal of ensuring everyone can party safely, but condemned the use of aggressive tactics.
"The physical integrity of several people was compromised, which is unacceptable," said council president Carl Devlies (CD&V). "It's inconceivable that the mayor, councillors and visitors cannot attend a council meeting safely. We will follow this up."
The demonstration was organised by four young people who were victims of a transphobic attack two weeks ago. On Monday, they called for the creation of a purple point, staffed by trained volunteers who could support victims of violence or inappropriate behaviour. The group said the city's "care teams" and police presence are not proactive enough.
Following the incident, the four organisers released a statement expressing regret over what happened.
"We are certainly prepared to offer our apologies. This was never our intention," they said.
