Press Release
Belgium downgraded in major global report as civic freedoms deteriorate across the E.U.
8 December, 2021- Belgium downgraded from ‘open’ to ‘narrowed’
- Concerns about excessive police force during protests
- Fundamental freedoms of migrant workers undermined
Belgium has been downgraded from ‘open’ to ‘narrowed’ in a new report by the CIVICUS Monitor, a global research collaboration that rates and tracks fundamental freedoms in 197 countries and territories. According to the report, People Power Under Attack 2021, the ongoing crackdown on peaceful assembly has led to the downgrade.
Until recently, Belgium was included in the minority of countries in the world considered open and free. However, a ‘narrowed’ rating means civic freedoms, including the freedoms of expression, assembly and association, are deteriorating in the country.
The CIVICUS Monitor is particularly concerned about the excessive force used by police when dispersing protests, particularly protests against class and race injustices.
In January, the death of 23 year-old Black man, Ibrahima Barrie, from a heart attack while in police custody sparked violent protests in Brussels. More than a hundred people, including 30 minors, were arrested. Police used undue force to disperse protesters, including tear gas and riot guns called ‘flash balls’ that can cause serious injury.
In a similar incident, in November 2020, protesters gathered to protest the death of Adil, a 19-year old of Moroccan descent who was killed in a police chase in Anderlecht, south-west Belgium, while allegedly fleeing a police check. Nearly 90 people were arrested including minors, and there were reports of beatings, strangulations and racist slurs while in police detention.
In a protest against class injustices on January 24, police initially seemed to tolerate protesters but the situation deteriorated as police allegedly intimidated and beat up participants. Police tried to control the situation by excessively deploying riot police, the cavalry, drones and a helicopter. More than 230 people were arrested, including 86 teenagers, and there were reports of physical violence, and racist and sexist insults while in detention.
“The CIVICUS Monitor is not only worried that the right to peaceful assembly is under threat in Belgium, but we are extremely concerned that police brutality seems to be racially charged, directed towards those from marginalised and vulnerable communities. We are also concerned about the arrests of a large number of minors, and find it ironic that the Belgium police are placing people in detention when the threat of contracting COVID-19 in confined spaces, like cells, is still very much a risk,” said Aarti Narsee, Europe Civic Space Researcher with CIVICUS.
There are also concerns that the Belgium government is violating the fundamental freedoms of migrant workers. In May, around 450 undocumented migrant workers, known as ‘ san papiers’ (‘without papers’) staged a hunger strike to demand legal status. The group reports that they faced “violent and repressive interventions by law enforcement” during one of their strikes, which included the use of tear gas and the detention of 66 people under administrative charges.
Even though some of the hunger strikers have been living in Belgium for a decade, without official papers they cannot access proper healthcare, financial services or other benefits for fear of getting deported. Their economic status has deteriorated under COVID-19, as repeated lockdowns and economic uncertainty make it much harder to find jobs.
"Minority groups have been repeatedly targeted by the authorities in Belgium, when protesting for their fundamental rights. Whether through targeting protests against racial injustice or hunger strikes staged by undocumented migrants, authorities are once again deploying colonial practices against these vulnerable and marginalised communities. They should immediately refrain from doing so and respect the right to peaceful assembly,” said Narsee.
The chipping away of fundamental rights in Belgium is mirrored across Europe, where even established democracies like the United Kingdom and France have seen a dramatic decline in civic freedoms this year. Across the continent, Belarus, Poland and the Czech Republic have also been downgraded in People Power Under Attack 2021.
Over twenty organisations collaborate on the CIVICUS Monitor, providing evidence and research that help us target countries where civic freedoms are at risk. The Monitor has posted more than 550 civic space updates in the last year, which are analysed in People Power Under Attack 2021.
Civic freedoms in 197 countries and territories are categorised as either closed, repressed, obstructed, narrowed or open, based on a methodology that combines several sources of data on the freedoms of association, peaceful assembly and expression.
Belgium is now rated ‘narrowed’ on the CIVICUS Monitor. 40 other countries have this rating including France, Italy and South Korea (see all). The downgrade to narrowed means that while the state allows individuals and civil society organisations to exercise their rights to peaceful assembly, freedom of speech and freedom of association, violations of these rights also take place. Visit Belgium’s homepage on the CIVICUS Monitor for more information and check back regularly for the latest updates.
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