DéFI leader Sophie Rohonyi said on Saturday she had filed a report with the Brussels public prosecutor and with Unia over a social media post published on Friday by the MR and its leader.
Rohonyi said the image, which referred to student demonstrations in Liège, Charleroi and Brussels, misused the style of a school supplies list by including Molotov cocktails, fireworks aimed at police and other dangerous items.
In a statement, she accused the MR of increasingly toxic communication and said the vast majority of students protesting for their rights were peaceful.
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She added that those young people were already suffering the consequences of violence they had not committed, as their message was being drowned out, their demands pushed into the background and their mobilisation discredited.
Rohonyi also questioned whether all students should be held collectively responsible for the actions of a minority.
She argued that, by using imagery associated with schoolchildren, and therefore with young minors, the post risked portraying an entire section of the population as violent.
According to the DéFI leader, the communication raises a legal question that should be examined under criminal law provisions on incitement to discrimination or hatred based on age, which is a protected ground under Belgian legislation.
DéFI said political freedom of expression also carries a particular responsibility in the choice of words and images, especially when they come from a party in government.
“Being liberal also means safeguarding the freedom to protest peacefully, respect for police officers and shopkeepers, and protecting young people from any form of collective stigmatisation,” Rohonyi said.
