The organisation behind various demonstrations against coronavirus measures is planning its next march “to depose the Federal Government.”
“Since November we have been demonstrating with thousands of people,” Sarkis Simonjan of the group Belgium United for Freedom told Bruzz, adding that their protests against mandatory vaccination and the Covid Safe Ticket (CST) have gone unanswered by the politicians they’ve appealed to.
“What is the point of this government if we are not heard anyway?”
Belgium United for Freedom is organising their anti-government march for Sunday 30 January. Previous protests have been accompanied by letter-writing campaigns addressed to ministers, local government officials and even the King of Belgium.
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Sunday’s procession will travel from the Brussels Nord station to the Atomium, where speeches will be delivered. The demand this time: the removal of the government.
A petition and request to demonstrate have been created
The Brussels Capital Ixelles police zone is aware of the request for the demonstration, but has not yet given its final green light. The technical details will first have to be discussed with the organiser.
In the run-up to the demonstration, a petition will also be put online with the aim of collecting 25,000 signatures. Whoever collects so many signatures – including at least 14,500 from people in the Flemish Region, 2,500 from the Brussels-Capital Region and 8,000 in the Walloon Region - will be given a voice in the competent parliamentary commission.
“It's a different topic, I hope we can keep it to one edition,” Simonjan said of the anti-government demonstration.
While distancing himself from any political movements looking to join the demonstration, he expressed understanding with some of the protestors who became violent at previous marches, including a one just last Sunday in which protestors clashed with police and nearly 230 people were arrested after the violence broke out.
“It is increasingly difficult for demonstrators to remain peaceful,” said Simonjan. “Where can people go with their anger? Only to a demonstration.”
