Oskar Freysinger in Brussels: Third Time Lucky

Oskar Freysinger, the leader of the Swiss People’s Party, was invited to speak in Brussels last weekend. The Brussels police (presumably with the prodding of the Socialist mayor) banned Mr. Freysinger from both proposed venues, but the Swiss anti-jihad leader was able to give his lecture at the Flemish Parliament in Brussels with the help of Filip Dewinter, the leader of Vlaams Belang

I know the Flemish Parliament building well: we spent some intensive hours there back in 2007 holding the Counterjihad Brussels conference.

Below is a report on last weekend’s events, as compiled by our Flemish correspondent VH, based on sources in various languages.


Oskar Freysinger was invited by Eubuco to give a lecture in Brussels. The venue was to be the Diamond Center (see 1A, below). This was blocked by the Brussels authorities. Then it was moved to the Crowne Plaza Hotel (see 1B), which was subsequently also blocked by the Brussels authorities (see 2). Finally Oskar Freysinger was able to give his lecture in the Flemish Parliament, on invitation of Filip Dewinter (see 3).

1A. The Invitation:

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” — Edmund Burke

Conference organized by “EUBOCO”^[1] on the topic of “Islam, a threat?” by Oskar Freysinger, National Parliamentarian of the UDC and UDF in Valais, Switzerland

The man who stopped the construction of minarets in Switzerland.

Saturday, October 9, at 10:00 in the Center DIAMOND (next to the RTBF), Bld. A. Reyer, 80-1030

BRUSSELS

1B. Another Invitation

From Facebook [as copied in a comment on Zoon Politikon]:

The police of Brussels-Schaerbeek, who administratively are under the acting mayor Cécile JODOGNE, contacted the Diamond Center, and, under pretext of possible disturbances by uncontrollable individuals, ordered the cancellation of the booking for Saturday, October 9th.

If we have really gotten to such a point that the police and the authorities are no longer able to enforce security, and prefer sacrificing freedom, then you will understand that the lecture by Oskar Freysinger is more necessary than ever.

The lecture will be held on Saturday, October 9 at 10:00 (Morning) but it now will take place at the following address:

CROWNE PLAZA
Rue de la Loi, 107
(Facing the EU institutions)
1040 Brussels

Oskar Freysinger’s lecture “Islam, a danger?” will be followed by a press conference on the theme “Is freedom of opinion and expression also under threat?”

Do show up, despite this setback!

2. Ban Also Issued for the Second Venue:

No conference out of fear for anti-minaret man

[Tuesday, October 5, 2010] BRUSSELS — A conference of the Catholic Association Euboco that was planned for Saturday, October 9, was canceled on the advice of the police and the municipality of Brussels-Schaerbeek. The Catholic Association had invited Oskar Freysinger. This is the man who called for a ban on minarets in Switzerland. He was to give a lecture in Schaerbeek.

The police and the municipality of Schaerbeek did not appreciate this. “We sat down with the manager of the venue,” said Roland Thibault of the Brussels-North police. “We showed him messages of Muslims calling for a demonstration against the appearance of Freysinger. The manager of the venue was not aware of the intentions of those hiring the room.”

The manager called Euboco yesterday afternoon to cancel the conference.

3. The Resistance

Dewinter welcomes Swiss anti-Islam politician in Flemish parliament

On Saturday morning Filip Dewinter, leader of Vlaams Belang [Flemish Interest], welcomed the controversial Swiss MP Oskar Freysinger in the Flemish parliament to give an Islam-critical lecture.

Freysinger made various efforts in recent days to give a lecture in Brussels, but at the instigation of the Brussels city council was refused entry at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and at the Diamond Center. In Switzerland Freysinger organized the referendum against the construction of minarets.

Dewinter then invited him^[2] to give his lecture “Islam, a threat?” in the Flemish parliament on Saturday. Some fifty people attended the lecture.

Criticism on Brussels mayor

“The Socialist mayor of Brussels muzzles just about anyone with a critical position or Islam, opposes Multiculturalism and the immigration invasion. The Flemish Parliament therefore was a symbolic place for this conference to take place. After all, the freedom of speech in Brussels should be permanently guaranteed,” said Dewinter.

Notes:

[1]		Eubuco introduces itself as follows: “The association aims to promote and defend the common good of Western Christian culture and the development of a reflection of political philosophy related thereto, through the development of human rights such as was defined in the Universal Declaration of December 12, 1948, and proclaimed by the UN General Assembly.” [source Eubuco]
[2]		VB Press release, Brussels, October 9, 2010: Prohibited and boycotted Islam-critical lecture by a Swiss MP and the initiator of the Swiss anti-minaret referendum will take place anyway Filip Dewinter gives Oskar Freysinger political asylum in the Flemish Parliament Vlaams Belang is absolutely not impressed by the fact that Swiss SVP MP and initiator of the referendum against the construction of minarets in Switzerland, Oskar Freysinger, was denied access today to two different locations (the Diamond Center and the Crown-Plaza hotel) to give a lecture on Islam, organized by Euboco (EUropa BOnum COmmun), under pressure of the Brussels’ Socialist mayor. Since freedom of expression is a basic right in a democracy, Filip Dewinter invited Oskar Freysinger to give his lecture on Islam in the Flemish Parliament. The lecture “Islam, danger and threat” was this therefore held morning in the Flemish Parliament, attended by an interested audience of about 50 persons. In his lecture Oskar Freysinger provided a deeper insight into the motives of the Swiss anti-minarets referendum. Filip Dewinter notes that the freedom of speech in the European capital Brussels is increasingly being restricted: “The Socialist mayor of Brussels muzzles just about anyone with a critical position or Islam, opposes Multiculturalism and the immigration invasion. The Flemish Parliament therefore was a symbolic place for this conference to take place. After all, the freedom of speech in Brussels should be permanently guaranteed.” — Bart Debie, press spokesman for Filip Dewinter