Far-right leaders to ignore ban on Molenbeek 'Islam safari'

Two right-wing politicians have said they will ignore a police ban and go ahead with a planned "Islam safari" through the streets of Molenbeek on Friday.

The mayors of Molenbeek and Brussels-City have banned the gathering organised by Vlaams Belang leader Filip Dewinter and Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch far-right PVV party.

Molenbeek mayor Françoise Schepmans said she had issued an urgent police order banning the event because she considered it to be provocative and a threat to people's safety.

Brussels mayor Philippe Close added: "We do not want Mr Wilders to bring his message of racist hatred to this city."

Wilders described the ban on Twitter as "cowardly". "We are definitely going to continue," a spokesperson for Dewinter said.

The Vlaams Belang leader said in an earlier interview: "We will make a journey through Molenbeek and Brussels, through neighbourhoods which are occupied by Islam. I have compared Molenbeek once with Gaza, but perhaps Raqqa is a better comparison - only Molenbeek has not yet been freed."

The two politicians plan to hold a press conference in Brussels at lunchtime and set off for Molenbeek on foot at 14.00.

Residents in Molenbeek, meanwhile, will respond to the far-right visit not with a protest march, but with a neighbourhood party on Friday evening in the Brass'Art community cafe on the town square. Locals are also encouraged to display an "I love Molenbeek" poster in their front window.

"We want to convey the message that we feel good living in Molenbeek," organiser Saliha Raiss told Bruzz.

"This is not a protest march - we have no political message, nor are we in a confrontation. This is a neighbourhood party, where everyone is welcome. Dewinter and Wilders are always welcome to come and eat and party. I doubt they want to do that."