A group of activists said they planned to march through one of Brussels’ most affluent districts, the Prince d’Orange neighbourhood in Uccle, under the banner: “Stop the Rich”.
The event set for June 29 aimed to put what they saw as wealth inequality and its ecological and societal consequences on public display.
Activists were planning to march through Uccles, regarded as Brussels’ wealthiest district, in protest against the “Rich Elite”.
“We’re not just pointing fingers at individual fortunes,” said David Petit, one of the organisers, “but asking deeper questions about tax evasion, unchecked privilege, and environmental damage tied to extreme wealth.”
He told Brussels Signal on June 17 the goal was to transform a residential postcode into a stage for collective reflection.
“When you dig into the lives of some of the ultra-rich, you find connections to tax havens, shady business practices, and even legal troubles,” he said.
“But even without that, the sheer scale of their wealth, and the carbon footprint that comes with it, is scandalous in itself.”
The Stop the Rich march’s route, still under review by local authorities, would wind through streets lined with high walls, iron gates and expansive private villas.
“For many people in Brussels, these neighbourhoods might as well be invisible. We want to make them visible,” Petit said.
The organisers claimed their intention was to confront the uncomfortable reality that poverty and ecological collapse were, in their view, inseparable from the accumulation of luxury.
“One of the most interesting conversations we’ve had is asking: Is there a point where wealth becomes indecent? And should there be a limit?,” Petit said.
“For us, just getting people to ask that question is already a political act. When someone tells you €20,000 a month is too much, that’s already far below what the ultra-rich earn. It shows there’s an instinctive understanding that extreme wealth has crossed a line.”
Not everyone shared that view. Eric Sax, municipal councillor in Uccle, has formally called on the district mayor to block the demonstration.
In a letter, Sax warned that the event risked stirring “unnecessary tensions and resentment” by “stigmatising a portion of the population based solely on socio-economic status”.
He characterised the parade as “deliberately aggressive,” accusing attendees of exposing residents to “hateful rhetoric, hostile behaviour, and potential disturbances”.
On the event organiser’s website, the message was unambiguous: “The ultra-rich exploit our social systems. It’s time to abolish extreme wealth.”
>Sax added: “This is not about silencing free speech but about safeguarding public order and social peace in a neighbourhood that is exclusively residential and family-oriented.”
The city has yet to issue a final decision on whether to authorise the route or the event but the tension reflected a growing unease in Brussels over wealth disparity, particularly in a city where luxury real estate continues to soar, even as other residents struggle with housing insecurity.
“When you look into some of these people, you see that many of them are involved in serious issues, tax evasion, harmful activities, and legal troubles,” Petit said.
“And even beyond those cases, just the sheer level of wealth, the ecological impact that comes with it, we find it outrageous.”
