Flemish nationalists could be prosecuted for recording the vandalism of their own offices in Brussels . The incident, which occurred last month the same night as a book launch of French conservative leader Jordan Bardella, saw the headquarters of Vlaams Belang attacked with impunity. Now Belgian authorities seem more concerned with going after the victims than the perpetrators, Nieuw Rechts reports.
As The European Conservative noted previously, the events unfolded on November 13th as Bardella, a leading figure in France’s National Rally (RN), was hosting the launch of his book, Ce que je cherche, at the House of Hungary in Brussels. The book, which combines Bardella’s personal reflections with his political vision, has already become a bestseller in France—despite attempts by the far left to suppress it. The event attracted a mob of approximately 400 radical leftist protesters waving Antifa banners and shouting slogans against what they termed the “rise of fascism.” Their protests quickly escalated into violence as activists clashed with police outside the venue.
While Belgian riot cops resorted to tear gas and water cannons to disperse the mob at the book launch, the protesters’ aggression spilled over to nearby Madouplein, where Vlaams Belang’s headquarters is situated. Here, the attackers hurled rubbish bins and traffic signs at the building, attempted to break down the door, and even tried to set it on fire. The damage to the office was substantial, yet the political and media response in Belgium has been notably muted.
What makes this episode even more absurd is the legal aftermath: Vlaams Belang, rather than the rioters, now finds itself under investigation for allegedly violating privacy laws. The party’s security cameras, which captured the vandals in the act, also recorded parts of the public street outside their headquarters. This has led to a formal complaint against Vlaams Belang under Belgium’s strict privacy regulations. “This is the world turned upside down,” said party leader Tom Van Grieken:
Our office is attacked, and yet we are the ones being scrutinised by the authorities. Only in Belgium could such absurdity prevail.
Van Grieken also expressed his outrage at the lack of condemnation from Flemish authorities. “In Flanders, it seems almost normal for Vlaams Belang’s headquarters to be vandalised,” he lamented, contrasting the tepid domestic reaction with the concern shown by international allies:
I received calls from foreign leaders expressing their solidarity, but here at home, the silence is deafening.
The attack on Vlaams Belang’s headquarters is emblematic of a broader trend in European politics. Radical leftist groups, under the guise of anti-fascism, are increasingly resorting to violence to silence conservative voices. The protesters who attacked Bardella’s book launch and Vlaams Belang’s office typify the hypocrisy of those who claim to champion democracy while attempting to suppress dissent through force.
As Europe’s conservative and populist movements continue to gain momentum, the tactics of the far-left expose their own extremist tendencies. But Vlaams Belang and its allies remain undeterred. If anything, this assault and the ensuing legal farce only underscore the necessity of their struggle for a freer, more accountable Europe. For Vlaams Belang, the fight against the mob’s chaos and the state’s complicity is far from over.
