Vlaams Belang has moved to distance itself from a march planned by a far-right organisation to protest against the exclusion of Vlaams Belang (VB) from talks on the new Flemish government.
The Mars op Brussel (March on Brussels) is organised by the extremist group Bloed, Bodem, Eer en Trouw (BBET – Blood, Soil, Honour and Loyalty) for 15 September. The group is protesting that VB, which achieved the second-highest vote in Flanders in the May regional elections, has been excluded from the negotiations still taking place to form a new regional government.
N-VA president Bart De Wever, whose party scored highest in the polls, is now concentrating on creating a government made up of the same parties as the outgoing government: N-VA, CD&V and Open VLD.
So far around 1,000 people have signed up for the march, and a petition calling for a referendum on the planned coalition has received 900 signatures.
“With friends like these, who needs enemies?” commented Tom Van Grieken, president of VB (photo). He suspects BBET leader Tomas Boutens of being behind the march, a man who has called for leading VB politician Filip Dewinter – as well as Arab activist Dyab Abou Jahjah – to be murdered. He also stood trial in 2012 for illegal possession of a firearm.
“I distance myself entirely from this person, who is making anti-publicity for our party. Those on the left will be running their hands when they see who is behind this action,” he told Bruzz.
Alan Hope
The Brussels Times
