Brussels residents start petition to save Place de la Liberté cafés

So far, more than 600 people have signed an online petition for the preservation of two local cafés located on Brussels' Place de la Liberté. Multinational AB InBev wants to replace both bars with a large brasserie, writes brusselnieuws.be.

AB InBev's plans for the site would require the demolition of the wall between cafés Le Liberty and Daric. The initiators of the petition pointed out that the buildings, which belong to the City of Brussels, are historically protected. They are asking the City to refuse the necessary building permit.

As the main tenant of the premises, AB InBev has decided not to renew the commercial leases with the current owners of Le Liberty and Daric. If the plans go through, Le Liberty would have to close its doors from 30 September, Daric from November.

The petition 'Sauvons les bistrots populaires de la place de la Liberté à Bruxelles', online for four days now, is an initiative of local residents and merchants. Some signers of the petition included comments about the importance of preserving the authentic character of the neighbourhood, and keeping the businesses local and diverse.