‘Antifascist’ activists have claimed responsibility for an egg attack on Brussel’s Stanhope Hotel on May 12 in protest at a scheduled seminar hosted by Conservative think tank MCC Brussels.
Protestors from Poulettes Antifascistes (PAF) pelted the hotel’s façade with eggs just before the conference, which was due to take place there today. MCC Brussels condemned the acts as “cowardly vandalism” and an attempt to intimidate the organisers and venue staff.
“They are seeking to frighten the staff of venues into banning the holding of meetings,” MCC said in a statement.
It described the event as a lawful, peaceful seminar and said it would not be deterred by threats or pressure, adding, “We will not bow to mobs masquerading as defenders of ‘kindness’ while using the tactics of authoritarianism”.
Following the attack, MCC confirmed that the the event, entitled Trump’s New World Order, would be held at an alternative location with a slate of speakers expected to appear including Italian MP Guglielmo Picchi, an affiliate of Matteo Salvini’s Lega Nord party.
In claiming responsibility for the vandalism, the PAF issued a statement calling on the Stanhope Hotel’s parent group, Thon Hotels, to cut ties with MCC and similar organisations.
One member of the group, identified only as Thelma, told a local news outlet, “These conferences align closely with Trumpian far-right themes: racism, sexism, transphobia, climate scepticism, and so on”.
Louise, a fellow PAF activist, said: “The role of MCC Brussels is to impose the ideas of the Hungarian regime on European institutions. It is shameful that Thon Hotels profit from this.”
Brussels municipal council has unanimously approved a motion declaring the Belgian capital an “anti-fascist city”. https://t.co/9ls0X1cMEm
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) April 25, 2025
A further MCC event, scheduled for May 21 at the Thon EU Hotel on Rue de la Loi, plans an array of speakers including Alice Cordier of the French group Nemesis, and Barbara Bonte of Flemish party Vlaams Belang. Several activist groups have announced plans to protest outside the hotel on the evening of the event.
It was not the first time MCC Brussels has faced difficulties in the European capital.
In September 2024, a Brussels bookshop reversed its decision to host an MCC event, expressing concerns about preserving its status as an “inclusive space”.
Earlier that year, the MCC faced problems hosting the prominent National Conservatism conference, NatCon, in Brussels, with several local mayors and left-wing activists trying to cancel the event.
It led to Saint Josse district mayor Emir Kir drawing international condemnation after calling in the police in a bid to prevent the event taking place. He was thwarted in the last instance by a court appeal.
MCC Brussels claims efforts to shut down its activities extend beyond physical acts. According to the group, complaints have been filed against it with the European Parliament’s transparency register, which it described as “bogus”.
Italy’s Prime Minister @GiorgiaMeloni has slammed those behind attempts to censor the National Conservatism conference in Brussels, calling them a “danger to democracy”. https://t.co/5d6CGqeA3p
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) April 17, 2024
