Nigel Farage described the events yesterday as “monstrous” after police in Brussels ordered the National Conservative conference to be shut down.
The highest court in Brussels has intervened to protect freedom of speech in an emergency late-night ruling, acting to overturn the ban that was imposed by a mayor in the city, not an EU institution.
Farage lauded the ruling as a “massive own goal for the EU”.
Speaking to GB News, the former Brexit Party leader said: “This is a very deeply intolerant place. If you come to Brussels with a different point of view and question the whole project of the European Union they literally try to shut you down.
“What happened yesterday was a massive own goal.”
Nigel Farage said that “Brussels is a deeply intolerant place”
GB News
Isabel commented: “You have just listed a number of European leaders who criticised the actions yesterday and then, in the same breath, said that this was all about you being anti-EU.
“As my understanding is, there were concerns, rightly or wrongly, that who you were sharing a platform with were potentially going to cause public disorder.
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“Somebody like [President of Hungary] Viktor Orban, who I think is speaking today, somebody who’s been accused of shutting down journalists and politicians who don’t share his own opinion and a close ally of Putin as well.”
Farage responded: “Hang on a second, Viktor Orban is the most successful politician in Europe.
“He repeatedly gets re-elected at general elections in a multi-party system with over 50 per cent of the vote. People may not like his politics, but he is a legitimate leader.
“The idea that a prime minister of a country should not be allowed to come to Brussels and speak on a platform, the very concept is monstrous.”
Nigel Farage was delivering a speech at the event when they decided to shut it down
GB NEWS
Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman was among those in attendance at the conference which aimed to bring together voices from across Europe to share their views on the continent’s future political outlook.
However, once Farage was on stage to address the gathered crowd, a Brussels district mayor ordered organisers to wrap up the conference within just 15 minutes.
Police told GB News they had issued a public order notice due to the “threat of protest” at the event, though sources at the scene reported there had not yet been any sign of demonstrations.
Downing Street yesterday condemned the decision to ban the conference, with a source telling GB News the decision “will worry anyone believes in free speech”.
The Prime Minister’s deputy official spokesperson added that the “no-platforming of speakers is damaging to democracy”.
They said: “Clearly these reports are extremely disturbing. The Prime Minister is a strong supporter and advocate of free speech and believes it is fundamental to any democracy.
“Speaking more broadly to the principle of such events, he is very clear that cancelling events or preventing attendance and no-platforming of speakers is damaging to democracy as a result.
“Free debate and the exchange of views is vital even when we disagree.”
