On Thursday, police in Brussels, Belgium arrested two individuals as they stood quietly in the town square holding a sign. What did the sign say?
“Children are never born with the wrong body.”
Lois Mclatchie Miller, a senior legal communications officer at Alliance Defending Freedom International, and Chris Elston, a Canadian advocate for children’s rights known as “Billboard Chris,” reported that Elston was held in police custody for several hours before taking their sign. Initially, they were told they would be charged with disturbing the peace, but they were eventually released.
This arrest serves as another instance of governmental actions against political speech in European countries that have historically valued freedom of expression.
According to the Belgian Constitution, “freedom to express one’s own opinion on all issues” is “guaranteed,” although there is a caveat that “crimes committed when this freedom is exercised can be punished.”
In a video recorded before his arrest, Elston stated that the police claimed they were violating the law, but when asked to specify which law, they couldn’t provide a clear answer.
“Now we are said to be arrested,” he remarked.
Initially, the duo was in the town square, with Miller holding the sign while Elston filmed. They engaged in discussions about gender surgeries, which attracted a crowd. At one point, a man began to harass them, prompting them to call the police.
Upon their arrival, law enforcement instructed them to remove the signs. Elston explained in a video after his release that the police claimed they required permission from the mayor. “I wanted to see the law; I never saw the law,” he said. “They… took my sign, put us in the police van, transported us to one police station, and then handcuffed us.”
Elston recounted that they were taken to the police station, where they were stripped down to their underwear and searched.
“They noticed that mobs had formed,” Miller said. “They viewed us as a minority under attack. Instead of standing up for our right to discuss issues pivotal to Belgians, they removed us and left the mob free.”
“This will not be the end of the story,” said Miller’s husband, Carm Miller, in a statement obtained by the Federalists after their release. “We should never have spent a moment in a prison cell for exercising our right to free speech. We must ensure that Belgium adheres to its obligations regarding free expression.”
“We had a happy ending, but let’s not forget this case,” he urged. “In fact, let’s use this incident to spotlight human rights violations occurring within the European Union and advocate for swift global action to prevent future occurrences.”
ADF CEO Kristen Wagoner remarked that the arrest was indicative of “an authoritarian regime, not a democracy.”
“By censoring peaceful discussions about a crucial issue—child protection—Belgium is showcasing the free speech crisis to the world,” she stated.
The Trump administration has pressured European nations to cease punishing free expression, as individuals now risk criminal charges merely for posting on social media or praying in certain areas.
Beth Blerge is a federalist election correspondent and an award-winning investigative journalist with decades of experience in media.
Source: thefederalist.com