Frontnacht festival cancelled because of neo-Nazi and extreme right-wing bands

This afternoon the Ypres town council unanimously decided to withdraw the permit for the Frontnacht festival. The Flemish-nationalist festival would normally take place on 27 August, the day before the traditional Ypres vigil.

The Ypres city council first refused the permit, but then approved it anyway. However, some European intelligence services were not comfortable with this and Conner Rousseau, whose party Vooruit is co-governing Ypres, had previously announced that he would resign from the coalition if the festival went ahead. "Ypres cannot give neo-Nazis a platform," he declared.

Open VLD chairman Egbert Lachaert, who together with Emmily Talpe provides the mayor in Ypres, was not amused by Rousseau's threat, but stepped up the pressure himself to withdraw the permit.

The town council has now decided to withdraw the permit after all, because the condition of the town of Ypres that there should be no connection with neo-Nazism or neo-Facism is not met. On the poster were several neo-Nazi and extreme right-wing bands. These included the Italian band Bronson, who sympathised with the ideas of Mussolini, and the German Phil Neumann, who sings that 'All Jews Are Bastards'.

#FlandersNewsService

© BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK - Picture shows the 20th edition of the 'IJzerwake' ceremony at the 'Gebroeders Van Raemdonck Monument' in Ieper (Ypres), Sunday 29 August 2021. The Ijzerwake commemorates the victims of the two World Wars combined with a rally for Flemish independence. The event derives its name from the Ijzer (Yser) river where the most deadly battles of WWI were fought.