A police officer in Brussels, Belgium struck the chairman of a major national populist party in the face while he was attempting to exercise his right to protest.
Tom Van Grieken, chairman of the Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) party, was attending a healthcare protest in the European Union capital which was disrupted by law enforcement.
Video footage of the incident shows a face-off with the police in which an officer strikes the politician from behind one of his colleagues, then wags a finger at him.
Van Grieken, who has praised Donald Trump as the first U.S. President in decades not to embark on new wars, has filed a complaint.
“We are simply denied the democratic right to participate in a demonstration,” he said. “Two weeks ago, the Brussels socialist mayor Philippe Close wanted to ban our demonstration, today he drums up police officers to violently deny us access to a demonstration.”
Another Vlaams Belang party member named as Ellen Samyn was also knocked to the ground during the incident.
BREKEND. Sinds wanneer is een betoging steunen voor de zorg een probleem in België? Is dit wat Brussels PS-burgemeester Close verstaat onder democratie? Oa onze voorzitter @tomvangrieken kreeg een vuistslag in het gezicht. Wij geven nooit op en blijven opkomen voor onze mensen! pic.twitter.com/YwWtJ8OMnO
— Vlaams Belang (@vlbelang) June 13, 2023
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