Trade unions and NGOs are planning to demonstrate on Wednesday 7 June against an upcoming bill proposed by Belgian Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne, which aims to restrict the ability of certain convicted criminals to protest.
Belgium’s three major trade unions have raised concerns that the draft bill’s text is “far too vague” and is a way of "harming trade union action” and their freedom of expression. Union representatives accuse Van Quickenborne of seeking to impose a three-year ban on demonstrating for authors of criminal acts committed during protests.
With Van Quickenborne set to discuss his bill at a parliamentary committee on 7 June, the unions will protest in front of the minister’s cabinet at 10:00 on the same day. They had already raised alarm bells over the measure, with the FGTB-ABVV’s President Thierry Bodson stating that Belgium is prioritising “the freedom of trade above social rights."
The unions will also be joined by various civil society organisations, who will also protest in front of a Bruges court at 09:00 on the same day. This is due to a trial occurring at the Flemish court, in which 14 Greenpeace activists have been prosecuted over their role in a peaceful protest.
On Saturday 27 April, Greenpeace launched a protest action at a gas terminal in the port of Zeebrugge, to argue for the phasing out of gas energy. They were arrested by police and prosecuted, with their trial set in a Brugge court on 7 June.
The organisation argued that “if an additional sanction,” applied due to Van Quickenborne’s draft law, was handed out to its activists “this would amount to muzzling environmental activists." Greenpeace concluded that this could be extended to “ all progressive causes defended by civil society."
Translation of tweet: "I and 13 other activists have been prosecuted before the correctional court in Bruges. And this, following a pacifist action that we carried out in the port of Zeebrugge, which criticised fossil fuel investments."
As a result, both the civil society organisations and Belgian trade unions will be protesting in front of the court on that day, an hour before the other protestors will demonstrate in front of Van Quickeborne’s office.
The Justice Minister, meanwhile, defended the bill in parliament on Monday. He explained that his intention was not to restrict the right to demonstrate but to protect it from criminal influence. Moreover, he stated that the bill would not apply to strike actions.
