Vlaams Belang condemns double standard after racist banner in Ghent

A banner bearing the phrase “Alle bruine mannen naar achteren” (All brown men to the back) was hung on a construction site along the E40 highway near Ghent. The creators were unidentified and described as anonymous artists. Ghent’s acting mayor, Hafsa El‑Bazioui, ordered the banner’s removal, and Muslim theologian Khalid Benhaddou called the message unacceptable.

Vlaams Belang MP Britt Huybrechts criticised what she called a double standard, noting that a similar banner reading “All white men to the back” had been downplayed a week earlier. Huybrechts posted on X that the swift condemnation of the new banner showed hypocrisy, arguing that the same standards should apply regardless of the skin colour mentioned. The controversy follows earlier remarks by Dutch singer Sophie Straat at the Gentse Feesten, which also sparked complaints but were deemed artistic expression by UNIA.

The incident has reignited debate in Belgium over racism, free expression and political consistency.