A rally against the far right will take place tonight at 18:00 at Place du Luxembourg.
The protest is hosted by an anti-fascist group known as Stand Up. This event comes on the heels of the European Parliament elections, where the far-right group Vlaams Belang won unprecedented support among Belgians. Far right parties also saw their support grow in elections in France, Italy, and the United Kingdom, among other countries.
On the event's Facebook page, Stand Up says, "We affirm that the far right has no place in parliaments and governments, nor in our streets, and that our united front will mobilize, as long as necessary and on all the possible fronts, to prevent it from harming."
23,000 Facebook users have said they're interested in the event, and over 6,000 have said they will attend.
Ilse van de Keere, the spokesperson for the Brussels-Capital-Ixelles police zone, told Bruzz that police will be present at the demonstration.
Stand Up formed this past December in response to the March against Marrakech, the group told Bruzz. The March against Marrakech was organized in protest of a UN pact that would open up legal migration. Stand Up's goal is to mobilize people into action against the far right and to prevent what it describes as attacks against the fundamental rights of workers, women, the LGBTQ community, and antiracists.
Stand Up told Bruzz that,"We are concerned about the rise of the extreme right and we want to show that not everyone subscribes to their message."
Sam Nelson
The Brussels Times
