Braving rain and hail, hundreds of Belgians took part in a symbolic ceremony
yesterday in a town where three couples refused to be married by a black
official.
In an impressive show of solidarity against those who have given the term
"white wedding" a bad name, the couples exchanged or renewed their marriage
vows in the Flemish town of St-Niklaas.
The demonstration was in support of Wouter Van Bellingen, who was born in
Rwanda but adopted by a Flemish family at birth and was elected a councillor
in the town last October. In February, when the three couples refused to be
married by him, Mr Van Bellingen, the town's deputy mayor, described the
incident as "the most primitive form of racism", because it was motivated by
"nothing but the colour of my skin".
Yesterday he appeared to have made the most of his adversity, as the mass
wedding he organised attracted the attention of the international media. At
least 2,000 letters and emails have poured in since the incident.
By early evening, couples had gathered in the town's market square in their
finery before an event held in a marquee. Chosen to coincide with the
International Day against Racism the ceremony began with a group hug before
the assembled couples exchanged or renewed vows in a ceremony overseen by Mr
Van Bellingen. Couples then took part in a mass wedding photo, before
tucking into a "multicultural dessert buffet" and taking part in a wedding
dance.
The row has focused attention on attitudes towards race in a part of Belgium
renowned for its sympathy with the far right. In last year's elections the
anti-immigration, Flemish separatist party, the Vlaams Belang won 26 per
cent of the vote.
The group has accused Mr Van Bellingen of using the mass wedding to further
his own political ambitions.
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