Counterjihad Diana West Gates of Vienna Power Line Blog Vlaams Belang

Power Line Blog Defends Free Speech and Vlaams Belang Filip Dewinter…….

Free Speech in Belgium Takes a Major Hit

Though the situation in Belgium is indeed dire, it’s rewarding to know however, that some of the major conservative blogs in the US are starting to wake up to the reality of present day European politics. Traditional European political power brokers are increasingly being seen as the problem to what ails Europe, not the solution.

The various Socialist political parties which include the Communists, Greens and Social Democrats, as well as Center parties and the neutered politicians on the Right, have turned either a blind eye or have given a full nod to the vigilante rabble called Antifa that roam the streets of Europe.

The situation has been allowed to deteriorate to a point where the police have become either passive or complicit to the thuggish means the Antifa crowd employ to curb…unwanted speech. They are the self imposed, unelected and unwanted vanguards of what we in society should hear and not hear, and they are being allowed to do so by Europe’s political elite. In the United States it’s called a scandal, here in Europe it’s business as usual.

Power Line Blog Enters Into The Fray

The waning of free speech in Europe continues

PLB: We have reported on Europe’s sickening turn away from robust democracy, and especially freedom of speech, and towards leftist thugocracy. In no European country does the abandonment of Western values appear to be occurring more rapidly than Belgium.

The latest example comes from Ghent, as reported by the Gates of Vienna blog. On October 7, Filip Dewinter, a prominent Flemish politician, was scheduled to participate in a debate at the University of Ghent. The issue was to be cooperation between Flanders and the Netherlands. Dewinter is a member of a party that favors the separation of Flanders from Belgium. Separation would be accomplished non-violently, as occurred when Czechoslovakia separated into two Republics.

Prior to the debate, the Rector of the university announced that Geert Wilders, a member of the Dutch parliament who had also been invited, would not be allowed to participate. Wilders is a libertarian-conservative, a staunch defender of free speech, and a critic of Islam to the extent that it conflicts with freedom. Because of his criticism of Islam, he frequently receives death threats. The Rector said that Wilders would not be welcome because his safety could not be guaranteed.

Neither, it turned out, could Dewinter’s. Left-wing students (300 of them according to one estimate) calling themselves anti-fascists blocked his entrance. Dewinter refused to be intimidated and attempted to enter the building. A brawl ensued. The police eventually broke it up, but the debate was cancelled.

Afterwards Dewinter said:
We were struck and beaten because we wanted access to a university for an approved debate. The so-called anti-fascists used fascist methods to try to silence us. This can not be allowed in a democracy.

Increasingly, the question is: to what extent is a country like Belgium still a full democracy?

I must say that’s high time that they did, and they are most welcome. The Tundra Tabloids looks to Power Line as an objective team of bloggers that are willing to access a situation in a fair and balanced way, which is all one could ask from a political blog.

Thanks to the Gates of Vienna for getting a full report from its Flemish correspondent VH, of what actually took place at Ghent University in the Netherlands, it helped to disperse the news of what took place to other major blogs in the United States. Baron Bodissey from the Gates of Vienna wrote the following:

Antifa Shock Troops Do Battle With Filip Dewinter
by Baron Bodissey

The preferred tactics of the “anti-fascist” Left are classically fascist in nature. Rather than engage in spirited debate, they prefer to silence their opponents on the Right by using social pressure, verbal harassment, intimidation, and — if necessary — violence.

This tactic was much in evidence when Filip Dewinter, the prominent Flemish politician from the party Vlaams Belang, was scheduled to participate in a debate at the University of Ghent on October 7th. The storm troopers of Antifa were called out to intercept him, and they violently blocked his access to the auditorium.

The “anti-fascists” were successful in their efforts: the debate was cancelled. But the refreshing news is that Filip Dewinter and his supporters did not hesitate to fight back.

The dedicated efforts of our Flemish correspondent VH have produced the following report on the events in Ghent, based on the Dutch-language news sources and blogs. First, a translation of an article in Het Laatste Nieuws:

Filip Dewinter in a battle with activists in Ghent

Near the auditorium “Blandijn” of Ghent University, a violent uproar occurred before the start of a debate organized by the NSV (Nationalist Students Association). At the entrance of the building a violent confrontation occurred when Filip Dewinter of Vlaams Belang with a score of supporters tried to gain access.

Blows

A group of activists from left-wing student associations had blocked access and kept opponents outside with violence. Both sides then pushed and pulled and there were some blows exchanged.

Admission Rector

It was the first time that the rector had allowed the NSV to organize a debate on the premises of the university. The event was supposed to start at 8:00pm with a debate between Filip Dewinter and Jean-Marie Dedecker (LDD) about the cooperation between the Netherlands and Flanders. However, activists from left-wing student associations had blocked admission to the university building at 6:00pm.

Harassment by the extreme left

Dewinter had previously announced that he “would not let himself be intimidated by threats from the extreme-Left”. After consultation with the rector and the police he walked to the blocked entrance with his supporters. In the violent confrontation that resulted both sides exchanged blows and slaps and one supporter of the extreme right sustained a head-wound.

– – – – – – – –

Order Troops

The police were present with fifty troops on the ground, and intervened. With the help of order troops and a water cannon the groups were driven apart.Attack on freedom of expression

In response Dewinter said the incident was “an attack on freedom of speech”.“We were struck and beaten because we wanted access to a university for an approved debate. The so-called anti-fascists used fascist methods to try to silence us. This can not be allowed in a democracy.”

Debate canceled

When asked whether he also used violence, Dewinter replied: “If someone hits my face, I do not tend to turn my other cheek.” The debate was canceled. The police are still stationed at the location.

[Baron] Before the event, Filip Dewinter wrote this on his blog :

I will not be scared away by threats and violence, and I will go tonight to the Blandijnberg [Ghent University] in Ghent.

Filip Dewinter, Geert Wilders, and Jean Marie Dedecker were invited to the debate. Previously, the rector of the RUG [Ghent University] had already announced that Wilders would not be welcome because his safety could not be guaranteed. Meanwhile it became known that extreme leftist organizations planned to prevent the debate by blocking access to the university building. The rectorate of Ghent University took note of this, but refused to make the necessary arrangements for a democratic and authorized debate that would take place in a safe way.

In August Filip Dewinter wrote an article on his site with some thoughts on civil disobedience. Perhaps the Ghent confrontation with the intolerant and fascist Left proves he is right:

Civil disobedience as a means to apply as means for action

On the sidelines of the annual IJzerwake [memorial for fallen Flemish soldiers in WWI] that took place Sunday in Steenstrate in Ypres, the Flemish parliament member Filip Dewinter told the VTM news that the Flemish Movement must radicalise and adapt its means of action to political reality.

Filip Dewinter: “If the Belgian authorities — government, parliament,… — do not want to listen to the democratic demands of the Flemish, we should not hesitate to switch to a higher gear. Elections lose meaning when the will of the people is ignored anyway… Therefore, the Flemish Movement should consider other methods such as non-violent civil disobedience actions.

“Filip Dewinter also said that “civil disobedience can mean that we stop paying taxes and fees to a government that refuses to take account of what a democratic majority of the population wants.

”“There has been enough scuffling and negotiating going on… It is time for action! The Flemish politicians have proven to be unable to respond to Flemish demands, nor to achieve anything. If necessary, the people should do what politicians do not want, and cannot do: realize Flemish independence through the power of numbers and put into practice the strength of their convictions.”

Antifa Ghent reports:

By mobilizing early and with a bit of luck, the Antifa group succeeded in bottling up some thirty extreme rightist dimwits in an auditorium. […] All doors where blocked by a large group of Antifas, and with the necessary vocal support the blockade of the debate was a fact. […] Thanks to Antifa Ghent, an example of defensive resistance! No Pasaran![includes photos]

Blokbuster, the anti-Vlaams Belang smear blog with links to LGF, was also involved and writes:

With roughly 300 youngsters the University was blocked to the great annoyance of the extreme Right. Dewinter and Co. attacked the students physically, but the students, who had a larger group at their disposal, did not step aside and created a negative result for Dewinter and company.[includes photos]Translation of an article in Dutch newspaper Trouw:

Dewinter battles with leftist students

GHENT (Reuters) — Filip Dewinter, the leader of the parliamentary party Vlaams Belang, and his supporters got into a battle on Tuesday evening with left-wing activists of student associations in front of the University of Ghent.“If someone hits my face turn I don’t feel the urge to turn my other cheek’’, Dewinter said after the brawl.The Belgian politician wanted to attend a debate organized by the nationalist student association NSV. The leftist students blocked Dewinter’s access, after which there was pushing and pulling, and even some blows fell. The police had to intervene with a water cannon.

Rapprochement

The debate was canceled. Jean-Marie Dedecker from the “List Dedecker” was supposed to talk with Dewinter about the opportunities for political rapprochement between Flanders and the Netherlands.Earlier on the rector of the university, Paul Van Cauwenberge, decided that Geert Wilders was not welcome at the debate for security reasons. “We want to avoid incidents, and there is no ideological reason for the ban,” a spokesman of the university explained that decision.

Diana West is another major US conservative blogger that has supported the work and views of blogs like Pamela’s Atlas Shrugs, and Baron Bodissey’s Gates of Vienna concerning the inclusion of conservative political parties like the Vlaams Belang and the Swedish Democrats, into the anti-Islamization movement, or the Counter-Jihad, as we in the blogospher like to call it.

West was one of the first to go online and give an accurate reading of the politcal reality that presently faces Europe, and poltical correctness be damned, she took on the influential blog, Little Green Footballs, which has been one of the most vocal of the big blogs to denounce the Counter-Jihad -as having slept with Euro-Fascists- thus dilluting its message and importance of being a credible voice and bulwark against Europe’s Islamization.


Charles Johnson has slowly seen his staunch position against the Vlaams Belang crumbling, as more and more Conservative blogs find an increased ability to look through the mist and haze of political correctness, and get past the knee-jerk reactions of naively swallowing -hook, line and sinker- the propaganda the Left has been so eagerly dishing out.

This is the beginning of the end to the European Left’s highly disingenuous, and false campaign against credible, conservative political parties. The Vlaams Belang is Belgian political party that aims to secure an eventual Flemish independence, as well as being against the colonization of Europe by Islam. The European Left eagerly labels the VB (Belgium) and the SD (Sweden) as “Fascists”, to staunch any debate on the wisdom of the Left’s multicultural enterprise and their neutered, psuedo conservative sock puppets on the Right are willing accomplices.

These European Right-wing traitors would like nothing better than to keeping their own conservative competition at bay, even if it means the eventual eroding of their own civil liberties. It’s sick, but that’s the state of Europe as I see it. It’s finally good to see another major US conservative blog “get it”, not being fooled like the very psuedo conservative/anti-Islamization blog… LGF. KGS

One Response

  1. Ghent University in the Netherlands

    Ghent, and therefore also its university, are in Belgium.

    The term Netherlands, while historically and historiographically accurate (the Netherlands extend from French Flanders in France through Belgium, the Netherlands, and the Frisian areas of Germany, including areas up to and including parts of north-eastern France, Luxembourg, and parts of western Germany), in modern parlance refers specifically to the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Netherlands for short), while Flanders (where Ghent is located), is in Flanders (yes, another term with both a precise meaning and a vague one), which is part of the Kingdom of Belgium.

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