Founder Extreme Right -wise Voorpost risks work sentence for protest action: « The asylum seekers were completely in panic » (Zutendaal)

In June 2024, the former Hotel Apollo was transformed by the Red Cross and Fedasil into a so -called antenna house that was linked to the existing asylum center in Lanaken, 2 kilometers away. A total of sixty reception places were created, the first asylum seekers could move in from 24 June.

Read too. Militants Extreme right -wing Outpost occupied Hotel Apollo: “Inhuman action for first asylum seekers”

On June 30, Luc Vermeulen and action leader Nick van Mieghem organized a protest action in which they climbed the building with six other members of Voorpost, showing banners, pamphlets against the windows glued and sparkling slogans by a megaphone.

According to the public prosecutor, this was a racist protest action in which the campaigners were guilty of living and attacking, because the resident asylum seekers were disturbed in their rest. « It was an intimidating, punishable action aimed at the residents to make it clear to them that their presence was undesirable. In addition, the limits of the permissible have been exceeded, » said the prosecutor in Tongeren. « The asylum seekers were completely panicked. One of the activists had a smoke rod from which black smoke came. Many thought the building was on fire, causing them to push the fire alarm. »

Mediate

According to the attorney, the residence was also proven, because according to her the activists knew that the hotel was already inhabited. « It was known in the media that people would stay in the building from 24 June. Local residents also received a letter. In addition, they also clearly established at the start of the campaign that the hotel was inhabited, but they still continued for an hour and a half. »

That the defense argues that the police would have tolerated the protest is unheard of, according to the attorney. « The police have responded very wise by mediating, so that the situation would not escalate any further, but they did identify everyone and drawn up PVs. That the police did not intervene are totally incorrect. »

Community service

The prosecutor asks for Vermeulen and his right hand Nick van Mieghem work sentences of 80 hours and a fine of 800 euros. For the six other members who were present, work sentences of 60 hours and fines of 400 euros are requested.

The Red Cross and Equal Opportunities Center Unia are civil party. The Red Cross lawyer requires moral compensation of 5,000 euros. UNIA requires an amount of 500 euros through the counsel.

Printing

The counsel of the eight defendants, Meesters Piet Noë and Bart Siffert, argue that the correctional court is not authorized to assess the indictments. According to them, it concerns printing press crimes that can only be assessed by a court of assisen. According to Unia’s lawyer, that is not true because the slogans would have a racist motivation. « Then the correctional court is competent, » it sounded. « They have acted from the inconsistent of people because of their national or ethnic descent. »

Master Noë, who assisted Vermeulen, states that this is incorrect. « Those slogans fish the social tendency and the board, which carries a certain migration policy. People do not focus on those people themselves. Those messages on the posters and on the banners are not punishable. They belong to the freedom of expression. » It is also denied that the defendants knew that the building was already inhabited.

« Never convicted before »

Vermeulen, who has a blank criminal record, finally took the floor. « I founded Voorpost in March 1976. Next year we have been in existence for fifty years and we have never been convicted. The people who take actions will receive strict guidelines: no alcohol is drunk before and during the protests and violence should never be used, » it sounded. « You can safely ask the police in the big cities such as Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent and Leuven. They always congratulate us about the peaceful way in which we take action. What is now being put into our shoes is unjustified. Moreover, I am convinced that no people were present when we started the action. For us, we would never have passed the Protest.” ””

Judgment will follow on May 23.