Amidst the usual traffic and security chaos which plagues the EU quarter of Brussels whenever Europe’s leaders come to town, a man in a smart suit is striding purposefully in the general direction of the summit venue, clutching his young son’s hand.
This man is an ardent federalist and forensic expert on all matters Union. This man’s bookshelves are lined with copies of the EU’s “Official Journal”, known as the “OJ”. This man has worked for decades to support the pillars of the European project. He is known in some quarters as “OJ Samson.”
And now, reeling from the referendum result, this man is leading his son, the generation most affected by the folly of the Brexiteers, to join a protest rally being staged by members of the expatriate British community of Brussels, to express their outrage at the turn of events.
But there is a problem.
As usual at summit time, all main routes through the EU quarter are sealed off to traffic and people, except for those with summit badges. It makes life a nightmare for normal folk trying to go about their business. In fact, I’m amazed that the Bruxelloise haven’t risen up long ago against the “elites” whose EU shenanigans regularly disrupt their city.
Luckily on this occasion I am on hand to warn this man that he is about to be rebuffed and turned back by police if he tries to continue on his path towards his demonstration somewhere on the edge of Parc Cinquantenaire. He will have to change course and walk along three sides of a square to arrive at his rendezvous, which is about 60 metres away in a straight line.
This news is clearly the last straw. Pausing only to mutter very rude things about unelected, elitist interfering European policeman, he grabs his offspring and storms back home, vowing to protest against Brexit another day, when the fat cats of Europe in their bloody limousines have buggered off and left us in peace to carry on building a federal superstate.
This man is an ardent federalist and forensic expert on all matters Union. This man’s bookshelves are lined with copies of the EU’s “Official Journal”, known as the “OJ”. This man has worked for decades to support the pillars of the European project. He is known in some quarters as “OJ Samson.”
And now, reeling from the referendum result, this man is leading his son, the generation most affected by the folly of the Brexiteers, to join a protest rally being staged by members of the expatriate British community of Brussels, to express their outrage at the turn of events.
But there is a problem.
As usual at summit time, all main routes through the EU quarter are sealed off to traffic and people, except for those with summit badges. It makes life a nightmare for normal folk trying to go about their business. In fact, I’m amazed that the Bruxelloise haven’t risen up long ago against the “elites” whose EU shenanigans regularly disrupt their city.
Luckily on this occasion I am on hand to warn this man that he is about to be rebuffed and turned back by police if he tries to continue on his path towards his demonstration somewhere on the edge of Parc Cinquantenaire. He will have to change course and walk along three sides of a square to arrive at his rendezvous, which is about 60 metres away in a straight line.
This news is clearly the last straw. Pausing only to mutter very rude things about unelected, elitist interfering European policeman, he grabs his offspring and storms back home, vowing to protest against Brexit another day, when the fat cats of Europe in their bloody limousines have buggered off and left us in peace to carry on building a federal superstate.
RSS Feed