By now, the world has heard the news. A municipal mayor in Brussels attempted to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/brussels-police-try-to-shut-down-conference-featuring-orban-farage-other-leading-european-conservatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shut down</a> a peaceful gathering of conservative leaders simply because he disagreed with their message.
The resultant outcry was enormous — the very essence of free speech was at stake — culminating in a rapidly <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://adfinternational.org/free-speech-prevails-for-nat-con__;!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!3e4hdrEyPrjSHR-Ny5IdDKSUOAzVbsFf8AQLtUj4NZNA0XwbYhe-5Frtk0Fcg7v09huGJ1hewD_pUvi8-BjlFaw$" target="_blank" rel="noopener">executed emergency court order</a> allowing the conference to resume, but not before the police had stepped in, relegating the first day of the event to abject chaos.
I was honored to lead the legal challenge against this authoritarian overstep, and in so doing, play a key part in this watershed moment for fundamental freedoms. 
It was business as usual as I prepared to attend the National Conservatism Conference in Brussels from April 16-17. Known as “NatCon,” the event presented nothing out of the ordinary in a city that regularly ebbs and flows with gatherings across the political spectrum. As the center of the European Union, discussion, dialogue, and even peaceable demonstrations across the ideological spectrum are core to the Brussels ethos.
<div id="attachment_726077" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-726077" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-726077" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-2147852060-864x576.jpg" alt="British eurosceptic populist Nigel Farage speaks during the &quot;NatCon&quot; national conservatism conference gathering hard-right politicians at the Claridge hotel in Brussesl on April 16, 2024. Brussels authorities were seeking today to shut down the controversial gathering after it was targeted by a social media protest campaign and bumped from its first two choices of venue. (Photo by Simon Wohlfahrt / AFP) (Photo by SIMON WOHLFAHRT/AFP via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-2147852060-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-2147852060-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-2147852060-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-2147852060.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />SIMON WOHLFAHRT/AFP via Getty Images</div>
But cancel culture was quick to bare its teeth. The event, a mainstream gathering of conservatives representing diverse views, had <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/16/world/europe/brussels-conversative-conference-emir-kir.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">already been canceled</a> by two venues, before securing a third near Brussels’ European Quarter. It was at this point that the mayor of this district decided to step in, issuing an egregiously discriminatory order to shutter the conference due to a supposed threat to “public peace.”
The order made two facts indisputably clear: 1) There was no evidence whatsoever of a threat of violence. And 2) It was nothing more than the vision behind National Conservatism that motivated the shutdown. In essence, from the mayor’s perspective: I don’t like these people. I shall not allow them to meet.
As stated in the mayor’s order: 
<blockquote>That this vision is not only ethically conservative (e.g. hostility to the legalization of abortion, same-sex unions, etc.) but also focused on the defense of ‘national sovereignty,’ which implies, among other things, a ‘Eurosceptic’ attitude.</blockquote>
To be clear, pro-life views are not a crime. Neither is, of course, the “defense of national sovereignty.” This was a dictatorial and discriminatory abuse of power, pure and simple. And when I arrived at the conference on the morning of April 16, the effects of this abuse were evident. <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://twitter.com/Paul_B_Coleman/status/1780242908156662188/photo/1__;!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!3e4hdrEyPrjSHR-Ny5IdDKSUOAzVbsFf8AQLtUj4NZNA0XwbYhe-5Frtk0Fcg7v09huGJ1hewD_pUvi8PBGYQFk$" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pictures</a> of a line of police in riot gear flooded X — the world was on notice that something insidious was afoot in Brussels.
Police surrounded the door, preventing participants from entering. It was only my direct line with the organizers that got me in. Never mind that expected to attend were multiple high-level participants including former U.K. Home Secretary Suella Braverman, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and Cardinal Müller from Germany. The diplomatic ramifications of this fiasco cannot be overstated, prompting reactions from both the U.K. and Belgian Prime Ministers, and massive international outcry.
<div id="attachment_726079" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-726079" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-726079" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-2148826538-864x576.jpg" alt="BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - APRIL 16: Conservative MP Suella Braverman, former UK Secretary of State for the Home Department, gives a speech on Day 1 of The National Conservatism Conference at the Claridge on April 16, 2024 in Brussels, Belgium. The National Conservatism (NatCon) conference, attended by 500 delegates over two days, features speeches from former UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, among others. Originally slated for Concert Noble, the venue was changed due to pressure from Brussels Mayor Philippe Close. (Photo by Omar Havana/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-2148826538-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-2148826538-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-2148826538-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-2148826538.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Omar Havana/Getty Images</div>
The freedoms of speech and assembly are essential for the functioning of any democratic society. In fact, without them, there cannot be said to be democracy. And yet, here we were, confronted by a line of police for exercising our right to peacefully gather and discuss the issues of our day. This kind of authoritarianism has no place in contemporary Europe — a disgrace to our continent and the values the EU espouses.
As a lawyer for ADF International, an organization dedicated to the promotion of fundamental freedoms, I found myself in the right place at the right time to rise to the defense of basic human rights.
We lead the charge alongside the NatCon organizers in mounting a legal challenge, which was decided in our favor by the Conseil d’État, Belgium’s highest administrative court, at 2:30 a.m.on April 17. The fact that the court had convened and decided overnight was a testament to the outrageous nature of what had transpired. The judgment was clear — the conference would be <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68826578">allowed to continue</a> into its second day without police interference.
Fueled by espresso and croissants, day two of the conference proceeded with a markedly electric energy. Conference attendees previously barred from entry took on the talks and conversations with a newfound gusto, having just come face to face with the frightening reality of what it means to be a “conservative” in Europe.
While among us at the conference there would surely be disagreement and differences of opinion on a great many issues, we found ourselves enjoying a unique moment of solidarity — united in our shared commitment to protecting our basic human right to speak freely.
What happened this week depicts the state of free speech in Europe in a very poor light. This is the sad reality of European censorship. However, we remain optimistic that it also will serve as an important wake-up call, reminding us of the crucial importance of diligently defending our fundamental freedoms under the law, lest they slip away from us as they have done before in the darker moments of our continent’s history.
* * *
Jean-Paul Van De Walle is legal counsel, Europe, for ADF International in Brussels, and led the legal efforts that successfully challenged the shut-down of the National Conservatism Conference.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

National Conservatism Conference In Brussels

I Was There: Here’s What Happened When They Tried To Silence Conservatives In Brussels

Brussels

Conservatives

European Union

Leftists

Nigel Farage

Readers Pass

The Netherlands

A conference featuring conservative views on subjects like abortion and gay marriage was <a href="https://adfinternational.org/nat-con-legal-challenge?p=46744">shut down</a> by police in Brussels after the mayor of the district where it was located claimed it was “ethically conservative” and focused on  the defense of “national sovereignty.”
“NatCon brings together public figures, journalists, scholars, and students who understand that the past and future of conservatism are inextricably tied to the idea of the nation, to the principle of national independence, and to the revival of the unique national traditions that alone have the power to bind a people together and bring about their flourishing,” the conference website <a href="https://nationalconservatism.org/natcon-brussels-2/about/">states</a>.
&#8220;The challenges to national sovereignty posed by the EU’s drive towards ever-closer union create a unique opportunity for political conservatism to present an alternative vision for Europe,&#8221; the conference website continues.
The Alliance for Defending Freedom filed an emergency legal challenge.
“ADF International is supporting an emergency legal challenge against the mayor’s order to shut down the conference, arguing it is contrary to the fundamental rights to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly &#8211; the pillars of truly democratic societies,” Paul Coleman, the Executive Director of ADF International and a speaker at the conference on National Conservatism, said in a <a href="https://adfinternational.org/nat-con-legal-challenge?p=46744">statement</a>.
“Open dialogue is supposed to be at the core of European politics; yet here in the capital of the EU, a thoughtful exchange on policy has been shut down by unilateral decree,” he continued. “This is a watershed moment where the true censorship crisis in Europe is on full public display. The crushing of political opinions opposed by those in power is something that should be relegated to the darker chapters of European history.”
“This is what cancel culture looks like,” Coleman said outside the third venue the conference had tried to use for the event. “This is the third venue that they have tried to put this conference on. The first venue canceled the event; the second venue canceled the event late last night and now this venue agreed to host the conference and the police, which you can see behind me, have shut it down &#8230; This is the definition of cancel culture; this is the state of free speech in Europe.”
The conference reportedly <a href="https://catholicherald.co.uk/cardinal-muller-appears-at-national-conservatism-conference-in-brussels-amid-threats-and-harassment-from-antifa/">finally went ahead</a> at the third venue on Tuesday.
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Emir Kir, the mayor of the Saint-Josse-ten-Noode district in Brussels, stated he issued a shutdown order because the conference’s “vision is not only ethically conservative (e.g. hostility to the legalization of abortion, same-sex unions, etc.) but also focused on the defense of ‘national sovereignty,’ which implies, amongst other things, a ‘Eurosceptic’ attitude.”
He added that the conference had to be stopped “to avoid foreseeable attacks on public order and peace.&#8221;
“What we have is a systematic attempt to sabotage everything to do with the conference,” MCC Brussels Executive Director Frank Furedi, an organizer of the conference, <a href="https://brusselssignal.eu/2024/04/brussels-mayor-threatens-to-cut-power-to-conservative-event/">told</a> the Brussels Signal. “They then threatened to cut electricity and all that.”
The National Conservatism conference <a href="https://nationalconservatism.org/natcon-brussels-2/confirmed-speakers/">hosted</a> former UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman, Brexit Party founder Nigel Farage, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and Catholic leader Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller from Germany.

Brussels police shut down far-right political gathering over ‘public safety’ concerns

Brussels Police Try To Shut Down Conference Featuring Orban, Farage, Other Leading European Conservatives

Conservatism

Victor Orban

The latest episode of &#8220;Candace&#8221; is now live and conservative firebrand Candace Owens has landed in London to discuss how to save western civilization with British politician and former head of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) and Brexit Party, Nigel Farage.
Farage, who has been deeply critical of the UK&#8217;s immigration policies &#8212; and was intricately involved in efforts to withdraw the UK from the European Union &#8212; sat down with Candace to analyze the state of the European-American relationship, and in particular, the British-American partnership, following the Biden administration&#8217;s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan.
<a href="http://dailywire.com/subscribe">WATCH: The Candace Owens Show Airs Tuesday Exclusively For Daily Wire Subscribers. SUBSCRIBE TODAY!</a>
The two countries used to be reliable, steadfast partners in promoting freedom across the globe but, Farage says, President Joe Biden struck a deadly blow to the &#8220;special relationship&#8221; with his disregard for coalition partners during the Afghanistan withdrawal.
&#8220;Farage notes Biden has changed Brits’ perspective of America, at least for the time being, and Candace responds by suggesting that Biden’s incompetence is simply being seen on a global scale for the first time. Farage is adamant that it is the first time he&#8217;s heard anti-American sentiment being echoed in the streets of London.
&#8220;How you leave a conflict is just as important as how you go into a conflict,&#8221; Farage tells Candace of Afghanistan. &#8220;[Biden’s] walked away without consulting with anybody. He’s walked away with no thought to the lithium reserves, without which we cannot have electric motor vehicles. He’s walked away from that and literally handed it straight to the Chinese Communist Party.&#8221;
&#8220;I’m very pro-American as you well know, I’ve worked for American companies and I’ve been involved in American current affairs and politics a bit too, but for the first time in years I’m hearing anti-American sentiment,&#8221; he adds. &#8220;How can we trust America? How can we ever trust America if they just leave us in a lurch like this? So don’t underestimate the damage this does to America in the eyes of the world. And don’t underestimate the loss of trust that will now exist. I’m not even sure NATO can survive this.&#8221;
The two then pivot to a more important task: saving western civilization in the face of politicians and governments who simply won&#8217;t &#8212; and, in many cases, are actively working to constrict citizens&#8217; freedom, particularly in times of emergency. The place to start, Farage suggests, is in the schools &#8212; a point Candace makes frequently.
&#8220;The West faces huge problems,&#8221; Farage tells Candace. &#8220;This is the end of the American Era as far as the way the rest of the world views it. But I do think, longer-term, if we’re going to save the things that I value and you value about our society, there’s going to have to be a complete root and branch reform of the entire education system.&#8221;
Swift action is especially important in America, Farage adds because it&#8217;s the last bastion of true freedom in the world.
 &#8220;If America goes, the whole of Western civilization goes. That’s how big the stakes are,&#8221; he says.
Farage also interviewed Candace for his own program, &#8220;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cec0Aos3ew">Talking Pints</a>.&#8221;
Daily Wire subscribers can access the new episode of “Candace” now. Daily Wire fans can access exclusive content like “Candace” by <a href="http://dailywire.com/subscribe">becoming a subscriber</a>.

“Candace” Hosted By Candace Owens

Candace Owens Takes On The ‘Woke’ Generation From Across The Pond: London Special Now Available

Candace Owens

Speaking on the &#8220;Just the News AM&#8221; television show, Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage asserted that much of the American polling industry works in tandem with the mainstream media to disincentivize GOP voters from going to the polls on Election day.
&#8220;I think that polling is often used by the establishment as a way of disincentivizing the other side to go out and vote,&#8221; Farage said. &#8220;The morning of Brexit, there was a poll released that said Remain were 10 points ahead. And it was done, very simply, to say to potential &#8216;Leave&#8217; voters, &#8216;Do you know what, if it&#8217;s raining, don&#8217;t bother to get down to the local school and vote, because you&#8217;re gonna lose anyway.&#8217;”
Farage commented, “And the polling industry is here in D.C.; it’s the same group of people that run mainstream media; they’re all the same people.”
&#8220;Are you saying this is a form of voter suppression?” asked the interviewer, Just the News&#8217; White House correspondent and writer Carrie Sheffield.
“Yes,” Farage bluntly replied. “And I also think that after the year we&#8217;ve been through and after the hysteria over Black Lives Matter, and the fear that if we even question this Marxist movement, that somehow we&#8217;re going to be condemned for being racist and put on some list or treated in some way — I think the phenomenon of the ‘shy Trumper,’ who&#8217;s just not going to tell the pollster what they think for fear that they&#8217;re going to be knocked down in a book somewhere is even greater than it was four years ago.”
The interviewer pointed out that the Trafalgar polling experts felt that the phenomenon of the “shy Trump voter” was double what it was in 2016.
“I think that’s right,” Farage agreed, “and I also think there’s another factor here, which is that a lot of people who feel that they’re let down by the political establishment, the media establishment, see the polling establishment as being part of the same group. So if they get an email, or a telephone call for a polling company, they use ‘Anglo-Saxon language’ to say we&#8217;re not playing the game with you. So it&#8217;s actually quite difficult to track many of these people.”
He explained “Anglo-Saxon language” meant expletive-laden verbiage.
Farage said he was &#8220;struck&#8221; by American polls using &#8220;tiny&#8221; sample sizes generating margins of error running between 3% to 4%. He said, &#8220;Come on, you know, oh, in Florida, Biden&#8217;s half a percent ahead. It&#8217;s ridiculous, because the margin of error is several times bigger than that.&#8221;
During President Trump’s campaign in 2016, he held a rally in Jackson, Mississippi, at which Farage spoke. In his speech, he <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?414316-1/donald-trump-campaigns-jackson-mississippi">stated</a>:
<blockquote>If the little people, if the real people, if the ordinary decent people are prepared to stand up and fight for what they believe in we can overcome the big banks, we can overcome the multinationals, and we did it! We made June the 23rd our Independence Day when we smashed the establishment.&#8221;
And we did it; everybody said we’d lose; and what did we see? We saw experts from all over the world. We saw the International Monetary Fund; we saw Moody’s; we saw Standard and Poor’s; we saw global leaders giving us project fear, telling us that if we voted not to be run by a bunch of unelected, old men in Brussels; yeah, well, it’s okay; they don’t like me either, so it doesn’t really matter, does it?</blockquote>
He recalled, “And we saw the commentariat and we saw the polling industry doing everything they could to demoralize our campaign.”
“On the day of the vote itself, that morning, they put us ten points behind. And actually, they were all wrong,” he continued. “And they were wrong because what the Brexit campaign did, was we reached those people who&#8217;ve been let down by modern global corporatism. We reached those people who have never voted in their lives but believed by going out and voting for Brexit they could take back control of their country, take back control of their borders, and get back their pride and self-respect.”

Guests Arrive For The Andrew Marr Show

Brexit’s Farage Fires: U.S. Media, Polls Work Together To Suppress GOP Vote

Mainstream Media

Polls

On Monday, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, seemingly confident of victory, boasted on Twitter, “In 8 days we’re going to take our democracy back.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
In 8 days, we’re going to take our democracy back.
&mdash; Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1320741987973099525?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Besides the fact that Biden mistakenly referred to the United States as a democracy instead of a democratic republic, (some Democrats have stated the desire for a pure democracy, in which the majority can trample on the rights of the minority), there was his seeming attempt to assert he was taking control, leading Great Britain’s Nigel Farage, the leader of the Brexit Party, to assume that once Biden had control of America, he might have other plans.
Farage fired back, “And then sell it to China?”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
And then sell it to China? <a href="https://t.co/5gELbHvDgQ">https://t.co/5gELbHvDgQ</a>
&mdash; Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) <a href="https://twitter.com/Nigel_Farage/status/1320744300813164545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
During President Trump’s campaign in 2016, he held a rally in Jackson, Mississippi, at which Farage spoke. In his speech, he <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?414316-1/donald-trump-campaigns-jackson-mississippi">stated</a>:
<blockquote>If the little people, if the real people, if the ordinary decent people are prepared to stand up and fight for what they believe in we can overcome the big banks, we can overcome the multinationals, and we did it! We made June the 23rd our Independence Day when we smashed the establishment.&#8221;
And we did it; everybody said we’d lose; and what did we see? We saw experts from all over the world. We saw the International Monetary Fund; we saw Moody’s; we saw Standard and Poor’s; we saw global leaders giving us project fear, telling us that if we voted not to be run by a bunch of unelected, old men in Brussels; yeah, well, it’s okay; they don’t like me either, so it doesn’t really matter, does it?
But they told us our economy would fall off a cliff. They told us there’d be mass unemployment; they told us investment would leave our country, and David Cameron, then our prime minister, but no longer, told us we might even get World War III.</blockquote>
In a comment that has eerie resonance in October 2020, he recalled, “And we saw the commentariat, and we saw the polling industry doing everything they could to demoralize our campaign.”
“On the day of the vote itself, that morning, they put us ten points behind. And actually, they were all wrong,” he continued. “And they were wrong because what the Brexit campaign did, was we reached those people who&#8217;ve been let down by modern global corporatism. We reached those people who have never voted in their lives but believed by going out and voting for Brexit they could take back control of their country, take back control of their borders, and get back their pride and self-respect.”
Farage recounted the attitude Barack Obama brought overseas when he attempted to stop Brexit: “Now the big card, the big card the prime minister decided to play on the referendum is that he got a foreign visitor to come to London to talk to us. Yes, we were visited by one Barack Obama. And he talked down to us; he treated us as if we were nothing. One of the oldest functioning democracies in the world and here he was telling us to vote Remain.”
He concluded, “So I, having criticized and condemned his behavior, I could not possibly tell you how you should vote in this election. But — but — I will say this: If I was an American citizen, I wouldn&#8217;t vote for Hillary Clinton if you paid me. In fact, I wouldn&#8217;t vote for Hillary Clinton if she paid me.”

Donald Trump Holds Campaign Rally In Jackson, MS

Biden Boasts, ‘In 8 Days We’re Going To Take Our Democracy Back.’ Nigel Farage Fires Back: ‘And Then Sell It To China?’

China

Joe Biden

On Tuesday, appearing on BBC&#8217;s Radio 4 show &#8220;Heresy,&#8221; comedienne Jo Brand decided to joke about the recent &#8220;milkshaking&#8221; of politicians, <a href="https://order-order.com/2019/06/12/jo-brands-hate-speech/">suggesting</a> milkshaking them was insufficient and a better substitute would be dousing them with battery acid.
Victoria Coren Mitchell asked Brand, &#8220;Would you not say, Jo, we are absolutely united in feeling we are living through a terrible time from a parliamentary point of view?&#8221;
Brand answered, &#8220;Well, yes, I would say that, but I think that&#8217;s because certain unpleasant characters are being thrown to the fore, and they&#8217;re very, very easy to hate, and I&#8217;m kind of thinking, why bother with a milkshake when you could get some battery acid?&#8221; After the audience laughed, Brand continued, &#8220;That&#8217;s just me, sorry. I&#8217;m not gonna do it; it&#8217;s purely a fantasy, but I think milkshakes are pathetic, I honestly do. Sorry.&#8221;
Stung by criticism of Brand&#8217;s remarks, the <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9279794/nigel-farage-jo-brand-inciting-violence-acid-not-milkshakes/">BBC explained</a>, &#8220;Heresy is a long-running comedy programme where, as the title implies and as our listeners know, panellists often say things which are deliberately provocative and go against societal norms but are not intended to be taken seriously.&#8221;
Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage, who was hit by a milkshake last month, reacted to Brand&#8217;s remarks, snapping, &#8220;This is incitement of violence and the police need to act.&#8221;
Retired Met Police detective chief inspector Mick Neville stated:
<blockquote>
The police should deal with this by giving Jo Brand a warning about the potential impact of her words. She should also spend some time with acid attack victims and see the physical and psychological injuries they have suffered. These people are truly scarred for life, so it takes a very strange and sick mind to make jokes about corrosive liquid being thrown over people.The BBC were quick to sack Danny Baker for making an unacceptable joke following the birth of Harry and Meghan&#8217;s baby. But will the BBC act in the same manner with Brand? She has arguably done far worse by suggesting politicians should be doused with acid.
</blockquote>
Mitchell later attacked Farage for calling Brand&#8217;s remarks an incitement of violence, tweeting, &#8220;Nigel! I&#8217;m genuinely disappointed; we don&#8217;t agree on everything, but I would totally have had you down as a free speech man. Especially when it comes to jokes.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Nigel! I&#8217;m genuinely disappointed; we don&#8217;t agree on everything, but I would totally have had you down as a free speech man. Especially when it comes to jokes. <a href="https://t.co/9Ya7THiAmU">https://t.co/9Ya7THiAmU</a>
&#8212; Victoria Coren Mitchell (@VictoriaCoren) <a href="https://twitter.com/VictoriaCoren/status/1138770563030298625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan slammed Brand, tweeting, &#8220;Disgusting. This is an incitement for people to throw acid at politicians. Shame on you, Jo Brand.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Disgusting. This is an incitement for people to throw acid at politicians. Shame on you, Jo Brand. <a href="https://t.co/P5XSF1Nq3r">https://t.co/P5XSF1Nq3r</a>
&#8212; Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) <a href="https://twitter.com/piersmorgan/status/1138818818858475522?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
Kevin Maguire, an associate of The Daily Mirror, echoed, &#8220;Dangerous and unfunny. Love Jo Brand but this quip is a mistake in the current climate.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Dangerous and unfunny. Love Jo Brand but this quip is a mistake in the current climate <a href="https://t.co/4ORl5IwgSM">https://t.co/4ORl5IwgSM</a>
&#8212; Kevin Maguire (@Kevin_Maguire) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kevin_Maguire/status/1138817926792982529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
After Farage was hit by a milkshake in May, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/05/20/what-is-milkshaking-ask-brits-hurling-drinks-right-wing-candidates/?utm_term=.4ce930b0069e">The Washington Post</a> noted:
<blockquote>
&#8220;Milkshaking&#8221; has become a recent symbol of protest on British soil. But while there are some who find videos of politicians being doused in sweet liquid entertaining, others have expressed concern. Across the country in recent weeks, divisive candidates for European Parliament elections have been targeted in attacks. Milkshakes appear to have become the protesters&#8217; tool of choice, as attackers sipping shakes are far less conspicuous than bystanders clutching eggs.
</blockquote>

After Farage Was Milkshaked, British Comedienne Jokes About Dousing Politicians With Battery Acid

The results of the parliamentary elections for the European Union were a loss for the European Union itself. Despite pro-EU parties <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/26/eu-election-results-greens-and-euroskeptics-gain.html">reportedly</a> maintaining two-thirds of seats in the parliament, euroskeptics and nationalists solidified their power and made gains, signaling division and challenges soon to come.
In Italy, the anti-immigration and nationalist party, Lega Nord (League) Party, reportedly secured a victory of 28 seats. Following the win, the leader, Interior Minister Matteo Salvini <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1132447/european-elections-latest-news-matteo-salvini-league-lega-italy-democratic-party-brexit">said</a>, &#8220;A new Europe is born.&#8221;
&#8220;As far as I&#8217;m concerned, if the League wins nothing changes in Italy, everything will change in Europe, starting from tomorrow,&#8221; he added. 
In the United Kingdom, the 6-week-old Brexit Party led by Nigel Farage, had a comfortable victory, securing a majority with 31.7% and 29 seats. Farage called the results &#8220;one hell of an achievement.&#8221;
In an <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2019/05/27/nigel-farage-become-prime-minister-brexit-party-9695684/">interview</a>, Farage said if the U.K. does not leave the European Union by October 31, his party will &#8220;go on to a general election and stun everybody there too.&#8221;
Farage repeated his warning on Twitter. &#8220;Never before in British politics has a party just 6 weeks old won a national election,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;If Britain does not leave the EU on October 31, these results will be repeated at a general election. History has been made. This is just the beginning.&#8221;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Never before in British politics has a party just 6 weeks old won a national election.
If Britain does not leave the EU on October 31st, these results will be repeated at a general election.
History has been made. This is just the beginning.<a href="https://t.co/J7xqwdwZin">pic.twitter.com/J7xqwdwZin</a>
&#8212; Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) <a href="https://twitter.com/Nigel_Farage/status/1132794993758941185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2019</a></blockquote>
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In France, Marine Le Pen&#8217;s far-right and anti-EU National Right party performed worse than it had in 2014, but still managed to win 22 seats. Le Pen&#8217;s party slightly outperformed President Emmanuel Macron&#8217;s party, which won 21 seats.
&#8220;The French people have clearly punished the president tonight, and taught him a lesson in humility,&#8221; said Jordan Bardella, the 23-year-old who led the party&#8217;s list. &#8220;Tonight, it&#8217;s him and his policies who have been rejected.&#8221;
Macron&#8217;s party did not frame the results as a loss and instead pointed to the environmental Green party making gains as encouraging. 
&#8220;It is clear from this result that the environment is a real concern for the French people,&#8221; said Amélie de Montchalin, the secretary of state for European affairs, according to <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/france-far-right-beats-emmanuel-macron-green-surge/">Politico</a>. &#8220;The president made it the first priority of the Renaissance list, and we will be able to work with the Greens.&#8221;
German Chancellor Angel Merkel&#8217;s coalition, concerned about the results, is holding &#8220;crisis talks&#8221; on Monday, reported <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/20190527-merkels-coalition-crisis-talks-after-eu-vote-debacle">France 24</a>. Merkel&#8217;s coalition was given their worst score in European election history due to the environmental party, the Greens, receiving significant support.
Voter turnout from the 2014 election to this year&#8217;s election was reportedly up from 43% to 51%. 
Pope Francis expressed his concerns about the results of the elections and warned against fearing migrants. 
&#8220;The signs of meanness we see around us heighten our fear of &#8216;the other&#8217;, the unknown, the marginalized, the foreigner,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/pope-francis-sounds-racism-alarm-as-eu-nationalists-win-big">said</a> on Monday, which also happens to be the World Day of Migrants and Refugees.
&#8220;To some extent, the fear is legitimate, also because the preparation for this encounter is lacking,&#8221; the Pope said of Europe&#8217;s approach to the migrant issue. &#8220;But the problem is not that we have doubts and fears. The problem is when they condition our way of thinking and acting to the point of making us intolerant, closed and perhaps even &#8211; without realising it &#8211; racist.&#8221;

EU Elections: Nationalists And Euroskeptics Are Here To Stay

Europe

Marine Le Pen

Not even a ban on milkshakes at a local McDonald&#8217;s could save Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage from being pelted with some of that sweet creamy swirl of icy goodness at a campaign rally &#8212; a trendy new thing for violent political demonstrators in the country, apparently.
According to the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-48339711">BBC</a>, Farage had just given a short speech about the coming European elections in New Castle when a man doused him with a Five Guys banana and salted caramel milkshake.
&#8220;A man was dragged away by a police community support officer and later seen in handcuffs,&#8221; reports the outlet. &#8220;Paul Crowther, 32, from Throckley, Newcastle, said it was a £5.25 Five Guys banana and salted caramel milkshake.&#8221;
The assailant characterized his violent and destructive behavior as a form of &#8220;protest&#8221; and saw Farage&#8217;s speech as his &#8220;only chance,&#8221; arguing that the Brexit leader&#8217;s alleged racism is far worse than wasted milkshakes.
&#8220;I didn&#8217;t know he [Mr Farage] was in town, I thought this is my only chance,&#8221; Crowther said as he stood in handcuffs. &#8220;It&#8217;s a right of protest against people like him. The bile and the racism he spouts out in this country is far more damaging than a bit of milkshake to his front.&#8221;
Crowther added that he did not regret his actions, though he does partially regret wasting the milkshake, which he admitted to enjoying.
&#8220;I was quite looking forward to it, but I think it went on a better purpose,&#8221; he said.
Video showed Farage chastising his security staff for completely botching their jobs. Fortunately, Crowther chose a milkshake as his weapon of choice rather than an actual weapon.
&#8220;Complete failure&#8230; I could have spotted that a mile off,&#8221; Farage said as staff whisked him away. &#8220;How did you not stop that?&#8221;
A member of his team could be heard saying &#8220;sorry.&#8221;
Nigel Farage later tweeted that the milkshake attack represents one more example of extremism among EU remainers that make campaigning impossible.
&#8220;Sadly some remainers have become radicalised, to the extent that normal campaigning is becoming impossible,&#8221; Farage said. &#8220;For a civilised democracy to work you need the losers&#8217; consent, politicians not accepting the referendum result have led us to this.&#8221;
The milkshake attack on Farage comes shortly after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/47399/mcdonalds-ordered-stop-selling-milkshakes-near-paul-bois">police ordered McDonald&#8217;s in Scotland</a> to stop selling the sugary drink item over the weekend due to the Brexit leader campaigning nearby.
&#8220;Police ordered a McDonald&#8217;s in Scotland to stop selling milkshakes over fears people would dunk them over Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, staff said, after a flurry of incidents left prominent far-right activists doused in the creamy liquid,&#8221; <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/18/uk/mcdonalds-nigel-farage-milkshakes-scli-gbr-intl/index.html">CNN International</a> reported. &#8220;Farage, the leader of the Brexit Party, was holding an event in Edinburgh on Friday ahead of next week&#8217;s European elections.&#8221;
With a McDonald&#8217;s just a &#8220;few hundred meters&#8221; away, police feared that it would become the base-camp for violent demonstrators to stock up on a milkshake arsenal. This bizarre movement of pelting right-wingers with milkshakes went viral earlier this month when a video showed Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (Tommy Robinson) get dunked by a McDonald&#8217;s milkshake at a campaign event.
&#8220;Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, had the same drink thrown over him just days later at another event,&#8221; CNN reported. &#8220;Another protester tried to do the same to UKIP candidate Carl Benjamin, who is being investigated by police over comments speculating about whether he should rape a female MP, but the liquid narrowly missed his head.&#8221;

Brexit Leader Nigel Farage STILL Got Slimed With A Milkshake

Great Britain

Apparently, milkshakes are a popular item for violent political demonstrators in Scotland to throw at right-wing politicians with whom they disagree. According to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/18/uk/mcdonalds-nigel-farage-milkshakes-scli-gbr-intl/index.html">CNN International</a>, police have ordered a McDonald&#8217;s in Scotland to stop selling milkshakes while Brexit champion Nigel Farage campaigns nearby.
&#8220;Police ordered a McDonald&#8217;s in Scotland to stop selling milkshakes over fears people would dunk them over Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, staff said, after a flurry of incidents left prominent far-right activists doused in the creamy liquid,&#8221; CNN reported. &#8220;Farage, the leader of the Brexit Party, was holding an event in Edinburgh on Friday ahead of next week&#8217;s European elections.&#8221;
With a McDonald&#8217;s just a &#8220;few hundred meters&#8221; away, police feared that it would become the base-camp for violent demonstrators to stock up on a milkshake arsenal.
&#8220;We will not be selling milkshakes or ice cream tonight,&#8221; a sign reads in the McDonald&#8217;s window. &#8220;This is due to a police request given recent events.&#8221;
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The McDonald&#8217;s next to the Farage demo. Someone clearly got wind. <a href="https://t.co/kHETQ66TOq">pic.twitter.com/kHETQ66TOq</a>
&#8212; Scott Macdonald (@scott_eff) <a href="https://twitter.com/scott_eff/status/1129486192595079168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2019</a></blockquote>
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This bizarre movement reportedly went viral earlier this month when a video showed Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (Tommy Robinson) get dunked by a McDonald&#8217;s milkshake at a campaign.
&#8220;Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, had the same drink thrown over him just days later at another event,&#8221; reports CNN. &#8220;Another protester tried to do the same to UKIP candidate Carl Benjamin, who is being investigated by police over comments speculating about whether he should rape a female MP, but the liquid narrowly missed his head.&#8221;
According to <a href="https://www.itv.com/news/2019-05-18/police-order-mcdonalds-to-stop-selling-milkshakes-near-farage-rally/">ITV News</a>, an anonymous staff member at the fast food chain found the ban &#8220;ridiculous&#8221; and did not think milkshakes would be in high demand from political activists. The ban prompted a wave of jokes and mockery on social media, with the Burger King U.K. tweeting: &#8220;Dear people of Scotland. We&#8217;re selling milkshakes all weekend. Have fun. Love BK.&#8221;
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Dear people of Scotland.
We&#8217;re selling milkshakes all weekend.
Have fun.
Love BK <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/justsaying?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#justsaying</a>
&#8212; Burger King (@BurgerKingUK) <a href="https://twitter.com/BurgerKingUK/status/1129748114129215491?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2019</a></blockquote>
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When people on social media accused Burger King of endorsing political violence, the official account clarified they did not want people to use their milkshakes to &#8220;have fun&#8221; in that way. &#8220;We&#8217;d never endorse violence &#8211; or wasting our delicious milkshakes! So enjoy the weekend and please drink responsibly people,&#8221; the account said.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
We&#8217;d never endorse violence &#8211; or wasting our delicious milkshakes!
So enjoy the weekend and please drink responsibly people.
&#8212; Burger King (@BurgerKingUK) <a href="https://twitter.com/BurgerKingUK/status/1129815064431742976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2019</a></blockquote>
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According to <a href="https://www.euronews.com/2019/05/17/why-is-farage-s-brexit-party-leading-the-polls-and-what-is-its-plan-for-the-uk-euronews-an">Euronews</a>, Nigel Farage&#8217;s Brexit Party is leading in the polls in the run-up to the European Parliament elections:
<blockquote>
Nigel Farage&#8217;s Brexit Party has been <a href="https://www.euronews.com/2019/05/12/support-for-new-brexit-party-surges-amid-voter-backlash">surging ahead in opinion polls</a> in the run-up to the European Parliament elections. This is despite the fact that the party is only weeks old and has no detailed policies.
It&#8217;s thought a successful result for the new party could push Britain&#8217;s ruling Conservative government to pursue a harder Brexit. The UK is now due to leave the EU on October 31.
Farage&#8217;s objectives go beyond getting the UK out of the EU. The veteran Eurosceptic now says he also wants &#8220;to change politics for good.&#8221;
The European vote has given Nigel Farage a perfect opportunity to tap into widespread public anger at the Brexit delay and the parliamentary paralysis. Nearly three years after the referendum, these are the elections the UK was not expected to fight.
</blockquote>

McDonald’s Ordered To Stop Selling Milkshakes Near A Nigel Farage Rally. Here’s Why.

Former UKIP Leader Nigel Farage warned that it was &#8220;entirely possible&#8221; that a new right-leaning political party could form if the British Parliament forces a second vote on &#8220;Brexit,&#8221; the referendum passed by the British public to leave the European Union. 
Speaking to <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1063646/Brexit-news-Nigel-Farage-latest-no-deal-vote-Theresa-May-UK-EU-political-party">Express</a>, the pro-Brexit leader warned, &#8220;There may well be a realignment of British politics coming out of all of this. The splits are so great now within the Conservative parliamentary party and out there in the country with many Labour voters too.&#8221;
While he added that it is his &#8220;first priority&#8221; not to start a new political party, he believes the pro-Brexit movement should be prepared in case Parliament votes to force a second referendum or makes a deal with the EU that favors the bloc. 
&#8220;My first priority is to get Brexit and to get Brexit we can cross our fingers but at the same time prepare for what comes next,&#8221; he said. &#8220;So other political parties and a change in British politics&#8230; all entirely possible but it is not the top of my agenda.&#8221;
Farage opined that a new party will form if British Prime Minister Theresa May forces a deal through Parliament that favors the &#8220;Remainers,&#8221; those who oppose Brexit. Her measure failed to pass Parliament and she barely survived a vote of &#8220;no confidence&#8221; against her <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/39298/british-mps-trigger-vote-no-confidence-embattled-emily-zanotti">leadership</a>. 
&#8220;I fear when it really comes to it, Parliament may well force us into a second referendum,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Most of my colleagues say, &#8216;Nigel, don&#8217;t say it &#8211; it&#8217;s all going to be fine.&#8217; But I&#8217;m not sure it is going to be fine. My message now is let&#8217;s get ready just in case.&#8221;
Brexit is extremely opposed by the Left in England and the European Union. 
VOA News <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/eu-s-oettinger-sees-chance-british-parliament-votes-for-brexit-deal-in-january/4717839.html">reports</a> that European Commissioner Guenther Oettinger expressed his dismay with how Brexit has proceeded and hopes that there will not be a messy &#8220;divorce.&#8221;
&#8220;It is not entirely unlikely that the British parliament will vote for the divorce agreement in January,&#8221; he said. &#8220;There is certainly no majority for a disorderly Brexit or for a new referendum.&#8221;
The commissioner added that he does not believe the embattled May will be able to get a Brexit deal through Parliament by the end of March, when Britain is scheduled to officially part ways with the EU. 
&#8220;Nevertheless, I assume that it will come to an exit at the end of March,&#8221; Oettinger said. 
Farage has been a strong proponent of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/28161/prageru-brexit-why-britain-left-european-union-jacob-airey">Brexit</a>, even while serving as a member of European Parliament in Brussels. 
In a June 2016 speech to EU lawmakers following Brexit&#8217;s passage, Farage did not hold back his criticism of the European Union. 
&#8220;Isn&#8217;t it funny,&#8221; he said. &#8220;When I came here 17 years ago and I said that I wanted to lead a campaign to get Britain to leave the European Union, you all laughed at me. Well, I have to say, you&#8217;re not laughing now, are you?&#8221;
He added, &#8220;The biggest problem you&#8217;ve got and the main reason the UK voted the way it did is because you have by stealth and deception, and without telling the truth to the rest of the peoples of Europe, you have imposed upon them a political union.&#8221;
Farage resigned as the leader of the UKIP following the Brexit vote.
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Nigel Farage Warns Tories Of New Party If Brexit Fails

England

United Kingdom

In the past 24 hours, baby Alfie Evans has garnered a friend in both the<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/29960/charlie-gards-parents-call-protection-alfie-evans-paul-bois"> Charlie Gard family</a> and Brexit author Nigel Farage.
Appearing on Fox News with Laura Ingraham on Thursday, Farage spared no words and denounced the British government for stripping the Evans family of their parental rights and instituting a &#8220;state-sponsored euthanasia.&#8221;
&#8220;Any parent in the world who&#8217;s got a child that&#8217;s sick would move heaven and earth if somebody else could offer them a different treatment,&#8221; Farage told Ingraham. &#8220;And yet what happens here is, our state-run medical system decides there is nothing else that can be done, and backed up by the state courts, they make a decision that those parents are not fit to move their child somewhere else.&#8221;
&#8220;So this gets to the absolute heart of how much freedom does the individual have, how much decision-making process do the parents have,&#8221; Farage continued. &#8220;Or are our children now owned by the state?&#8221;
The conversation shifted to Alfie Evans&#8217; father, who was essentially bullied by Alder Hey Children&#8217;s Hospital into issuing a statement telling his supporters to pack up their picket signs and go home. The statement was followed by <a href="https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/alfie-evans-parents-to-form-a-relationship-with-hospital-ask-supporters-to">reports</a> that said Alder Hey staff told the family that little Alfie would not be let go unless the father demonstrated a &#8220;sea change&#8221; in his attitude.
&#8220;It&#8217;s almost like they broke Alfie&#8217;s father today,&#8221; Ingraham said.
Farage recalled his experience in the Charlie Gard case just last year where hospital staff accused him of damaging their reputations.
&#8220;I turned up outside the hospital, in this case Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, and I was told in no uncertain terms by the PR services for the hospital that what I was doing was damaging the reputation of the hospital by doing press reports outside when this little boy was dying,&#8221; Farage recalled.
Speculation goes that Alder Hey refuses to release Alfie Evans into the parents&#8217; custody so that they can transport him to Europe for further treatment because they are afraid that his potential recovery could embarrass them and usurp their authority.
&#8220;And it is just &#8212; it&#8217;s classic of the establishment closing ranks, the state being all powerful,&#8221; Farage concluded. &#8220;And frankly, what is happening today and what is happening right now is a form of state-sponsored euthanasia and I hate it.&#8221;
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Brexit Author Nigel Farage: ‘State-Sponsored Euthanasia’ Is Killing Alfie Evans

Health Care

On June 23, 2016, the world heard the news. Great Britain had voted to leave the European Union in a shocking move that shook the world.
Former UKIP Leader Nigel Farage explains the history of the movement in the latest Prager University video on <a href="https://www.prageru.com/videos/brexit-why-britain-left-european-union">Brexit</a>, &#8220;Why Britain Left the European Union.&#8221;
&#8220;If one big government is bad, imagine how much worse two big governments would be,&#8221; Farage says. &#8220;But that&#8217;s what people living in Europe have had to deal with: their own nation&#8217;s bloated government and the super-national government of Europe, now known as the European Union. Bureaucracy times two! How&#8217;s that for a horror show?&#8221;
&#8220;Well, actually, you&#8217;ve no idea,&#8221; he continues. &#8220;It&#8217;s worse than you think. Believe me. I know, because for 17 years, I&#8217;ve represented South East England as a member of the European Parliament, the EU&#8217;s legislative body. I was also leader of the UK Independence Party, or UKIP, where I lead Britain&#8217;s efforts to leave the European Union. To their everlasting credit, that&#8217;s just what happened on June the 23, 2016: The United Kingdom left the European Union. The world knows it as &#8216;Brexit.&#8217;&#8221;
Farage adds, &#8220;Brexit is a statement of national sovereignty. Don&#8217;t misunderstand me: I like nations. I like borders. I like the people that live within those borders making their own laws. But I don&#8217;t like it when faceless bureaucrats make laws for nations they don&#8217;t even live in.&#8221;
&#8220;But that&#8217;s what they do in the European Union.&#8221;
Watch the video below:
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