Various organisations, including Extinction Rebellion Belgium, Indivisible Belgium and Rise for Climate protested at the entrance to Jubel Park in Brussels on Sunday, the venue of US Ambassador Bill White’s party to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence. Earlier, Greenpeace activists had unfurled a 600-square-metre banner on Brussels' historic market square (photo top) to denounce the Trump administration’s policies.
The protests took place at Schuman Square, near the entrance to the Jubel Park and at the heart of the European District. The demonstrators are protesting against the fact that part of the public park has been closed off for Ambassador White’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of America. It’s been privatised, they say!
Extinction Rebellion notes that “no foreign state has ever celebrated its national holiday by appropriating Brussels’ most politically and historically symbolic location.” Earlier Belgium’s controversial King Leopold II had the park created to celebrate 50 years of Belgian independence.
Extinction Rebellion criticises the City of Brussels for granting “exceptional preferential treatment” to a government which, in their view, undermines climate policy, multilateralism and international law.
Ecologist campaigners of Rise for Climate are also using the gathering to denounce climate inaction in Belgium, Europe and the rest of the world, as the heatwave continues. The organisation criticises what it sees as the lack of large-scale national measures to tackle heatwaves, the continued subsidies for fossil fuels and the direction of European climate policy.
Greenpeace unfurls banner (photo top)
Earlier on Sunday, protesters of ecologist movement Greenpeace unfurled a 600-square-metre banner on Brussels’ market square. It read: “War. Greed. Energy Crisis. What’s there to celebrate?”
According to Greenpeace, the protest is intended to denounce the US government’s political and economic agenda, as well as the fact that numerous prominent guests – including Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever – were attending.
“Whilst an historic and deadly heatwave is hitting Belgium, it is a scandal that the Belgian authorities are rolling out the red carpet for an openly climate-sceptical government and organising such a decadent party,” fumed Joeri Thijs, spokesperson for Greenpeace Belgium.
“Trump is destabilising global geopolitics, and that threatens us all. It is high time that our political leaders, both European and Belgian, refused to bow to his intimidation.”
Finally, Greenpeace is also concerned about the growing dependence of various European countries on shale gas imported from the United States. “Continuing to pander to the Trump administration seriously jeopardises the EU’s climate ambitions and increases our dependence on tyrants like him,” they say.