Nine people were detained in Ghent during a demonstration before a lecture by Flemish parliamentarian Filip Dewinter (Vlaams Belang) at the city’s university on Thursday evening.
The event started 30 minutes late due to scuffles at the entrance to the auditorium.
The Vlaams Belang vice-president had been invited by the right-wing conservative student federation KVHV to present his new book ‘Omvolking’. His recent speeches in other Flemish cities had also been marred by incidents.
Before Dewinter arrived, some 650 people gathered outside the auditorium, according to Ghent police. The demonstration was peaceful, but police placed nine people in administrative detention for threatening public order.
Mr Dewinter finally took the floor late after demonstrators tried to prevent him from entering the auditorium, causing minor scuffles, with some pushing and shoving, according to the police, who kept the situation under control. The start of Dewinter’s lecture was also punctuated by boos.
