Brussels police arrest 40 after violent protests against Belgian, French far right

Police arrested 40 people after protesters tried to force their way into the Brussels headquarters of Belgian far-right party Vlaams Belang after a book signing event with French far-right leader Jordan Bardella.
Authorities confirmed that on Wednesday evening, just before 8 p.m., “a few hundred people” demonstrating at the book signing event at the Hungary House on Rue de la Loi, made their way to the party office of Vlaams Belang, a few hundred meters away.
Bardella has embarked on a media blitz to promote his memoir, “Ce Que Je Cherche.”
“They have tried to force the entrance, which was prevented by the police,” Ilse Van de keere, spokesperson of the Brussels police, said in a statement.
Tom Van Grieken, Vlaams Belang’s leader, shared footage of protesters throwing garbage bags and road signs at the office’s entrance on his X account.
“They destroyed the entrance, they destroyed the [security] cameras, to make matters worse, they also tried to set fire to a building where people live,” he told POLITICO on the phone.
He said those responsible were left-wingers.
“We seriously have the impression that the left are the real anti-democrats. When they can’t bring down nationalistic or patriotic parties at the voting booth, then it needs to happen in other ways,” he said.
“Then it must happen through intimidation, violence and prosecution.”