Belgium in Brief: UNESCO festival under fire, police investigated and Antwerp Pride

Belgium in Brief: UNESCO festival under fire, police investigated and Antwerp Pride

A UNESCO ranked parade faces concerns over a character in blackface, nine Sheep were seized from temporary slaughterhouses in Brussels and a homeless Belgian man was shot dead by French police.

Here’s a recap of the news you should know in Belgium this morning:

1. Fire in Limburg claims the lives of two firefighters

A serious fire in an empty building in Beringen in Limburg province on Sunday morning has claimed the lives of two firefighters. Four others have been injured. Read more

2. UNESCO-ranked parade under fire for ‘racist’ depictions

Groups fighting against racial inequalities have called for a traditional Walloon parade to be stripped of its UNESCO credentials due to the way Belgium’s colonial past is depicted in the procession. One of the characters, known as “The Savage,” is meant to depict Belgium’s colonial past, which in past editions of the parade is played by a man in blackface. Read more.

3. Mob attacks two men who killed a rare bird in Germany

The two men, aged 20 and 22, had killed the Capercaillie with a bottle when returning home from a party on Saturday. They told the police that the bird had threatened them and that they had acted in self-defence. Read more.

4. Homeless Belgian shot dead by French police

A homeless Belgian was shot dead by police in the south of France on Sunday after the man attempted to kill himself with a knife. Police and emergency services had initially rushed to a public park after a Belgian national in his fifties tried to commit suicide with a knife. Read more.

5. Nine sheep seized from unauthorised abattoirs during Muslim Feast of Sacrifice

Brussels police confiscated nine sheep meant to be sacrificed without stunning on unauthorised slaughter floors set up in Brussels for the Muslim Feast of Sacrifice, celebrated at the weekend. Read more.

6. Belgium's Elise Mertens out of Women's Tennis Association top 20

She lost three places and is now 23rd, eliminated by Serena Williams in Toronto’s second round. Belgium's second Alison Van Uytvanck is 63rd (-2) in the top 100. Kirsten Flipkens is 107th (-2) and Ysaline Bonaventure 111th (-2). Read more.

7. Antwerp’s Pride Festival sees 150,000 attendees in total

With guests such as Eurovision’s Charlotte Perrelli and Kate Ryan, the Pride festival attracted a total of 150,000 visitors in four days, the organizers announced. Read more.

Jules Johnston

The Brussels Times


Copyright © 2024 The Brussels Times. All Rights Reserved.