Belgian police shut down a far-right conference as it rallies ahead of Europe's June elections

BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgian police shut down a gathering of far-right politicians and supporters on Tuesday, citing concerns about public order, while attendees protested curbs on free speech and vowed to find another venue for the second day of their meeting.

The annual National Conservative conference, held this year in Brussels, comes ahead of Europe-wide elections. As campaigning for the June 6-9 event heats up, mainstream parties fear that disenchanted voters might turn to the people at NatCon 2024.

“This is what we’re up against. We’re up against a new form of evil ideology," Nigel Farage, the man credited with taking Britain out of the European Union, told the gathering of a few hundred stridently nationalist and fundamentalist Christian politicians and think-tankers.

British and Belgian leaders expressed concern the event had been forced to close. A spokeswoman for Rishi Sunak said the British prime minister found reports police had shut down the National Conservatives conference “extremely disturbing.”

“The prime minister is a strong supporter and advocator for free speech, and he believes that should be fundamental to any democracy,” said spokeswoman Camilla Marshall. “Cancelling events or cancelling attendance and no-platforming speakers is damaging to free speech and democracy as a result.”

Taking to the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said that “what happened at the Claridge today is unacceptable.” The gathering was taking place at the Claridge event center in the Belgian capital

“Municipal autonomy is a cornerstone of our democracy but can never overrule the Belgian constitution guaranteeing the freedom of speech and peaceful assembly since 1830. Banning political meetings is unconstitutional. Full stop,” he wrote.

Belgian police shut down the conference by barring attendees from reentering the venue if they dared to leave. A dozen or so officers blocked the main entrance. It was the third venue selected for the gathering after the owners of two other locations shied away when anti-fascist protesters vowed to disrupt proceedings.

Around 50 protesters approached the Claridge late in the afternoon, after most of the conference-goers had left, and hours after police tried to close the meeting down.

Earlier at the event, anti-migrant sentiment featured in a number of speeches. Some targeted what they saw as the follies of climate policy, “narco-socialism” or “woke indoctrination,” often with sharp opposition to multinational organizations like the EU.

Lashing out at the bloc’s treaties, and the pledge in the preamble of the founding EU texts to an “ever-closer Union” among the 27 member countries, Polish lawmaker Ryszard Legutko said it all makes “medieval monks look almost like intellectual anarchists.”

Surveys suggest that mainstream political parties are likely to retain power after the June elections, but quite possibly with a reduced majority.

This year’s NatCon, organized by the conservative U.S. think tank the Edmund Burke Foundation, was held under the banner of “National Conservatism, Preserving the Nation-State in Europe.”

French far-right figurehead Eric Zemmour was scheduled to criticize the EU’s new migrant and asylum rules but was turned away by police. Suella Braverman, who served as U.K. home secretary for just over a month in 2022 before being fired, railed for 27 minutes against the European Court of Human Rights.

Politicians and former leaders from Spain, Poland and the Netherlands were also on the agenda. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was due to speak on Wednesday.

“I guess they couldn’t take free speech any longer,” Orban posted on X about the shutdown. “The last time they wanted to silence me with the police was when the Communists set them on me in ’88. We didn’t give up then and we will not give up this time either!”

Speakers summoned the grand ideas of figures like the Pope, Homer, Dostoyevsky, Leo Strauss, Tocqueville and Gramsci. English was the common language, spattered with classical Latin. Modern liberal democracy was likened to a form of “neo-Marxist authoritarianism.”

Mostly though, those who could speak before the gathering was shut down for the day focused on their “enemies” among the mainstream political parties.

“We have to know our enemies are in panic and they show it every day,” said EU lawmaker Hermann Tertsch, from Spain’s far-right Vox party. “The enemy knows their time is running out.”

As Brussels police warned that the conference's time was limited, too, Edmund Burke Foundation Chairman Yoram Hazony invited participants to stay as long as they dared.

“The new democracy works in mysterious ways. Your goal as someone in the new democracy is to prevent the other guy from speaking,” Hazony had said as the conference opened.

Associated Press writer Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report.

Member of the Flemish separatist party Vlaams Belang, Filip Dewinter, center, speaks with the media outside the National Conservatism conference in Brussels, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

Police look on as demonstrators hold a banner outside the National Conservatism conference in Brussels, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

Police stand guard outside the front entrance of the event venue as the National Conservatism conference takes place in Brussels, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Sylvain Plazy)

A man arranges pamphlets on a table during the National Conservatism conference in Brussels, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

Former British Home Secretary Suella Braverman speaks during the National Conservatism conference in Brussels, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

Former MEP and Honorary President of the Reform UK party Nigel Farage speaks during the National Conservatism conference in Brussels, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

Former MEP and Honorary President of the Reform UK party Nigel Farage, right, and member of the Flemish separatist party Vlaams Belang Filip Dewinter arrive for the National Conservatism conference in Brussels, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

Police stand guard outside the front entrance of the event venue as the National Conservatism conference takes place in Brussels, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Sylvain Plazy)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Law enforcement officers with an arrest warrant demanded that a man come out of a house in North Carolina before four were killed by gunfire, the victims unable to survive shots coming from inside the dwelling, a witness and officials said Tuesday.

Still reeling from Monday's attack — the deadliest against U.S. law enforcement officers since 2016 — investigators in Charlotte said they weren't sure whether there was a second shooter and that more work was needed to determine what happened.

“Charlotte isn’t going to be the last place that this happens,” Mayor Vi Lyles said, “but Charlotte will be the place that will heal — that will heal with dignity and respect for everyone.”

A task force made up of officers from different agencies had arrived in the suburban neighborhood to try to capture Terry Clark Hughes Jr., 39, who was wanted for possession of a firearm by an ex-felon and fleeing to elude in Lincoln County, North Carolina.

Those killed were identified as Sam Poloche and William Elliott of the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections; Charlotte-Mecklenburg Officer Joshua Eyer; and Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas Weeks. Four other officers were wounded in the shootout, and Hughes was also killed.

An AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, a 40-caliber handgun and ammunition were found at the scene.

An AR-15 is able to penetrate traditional body armor and allowed the shooter to “unload several rounds towards our officers within a matter of seconds,” said Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings.

He said more than 100 spent rounds were found, though it wasn't clear how many were fired by the suspect. At least 12 officers also fired guns.

“Even though officers were trying to take cover, they were at a disadvantage because the suspect was up at a higher level and they were returning fire from a lower position,” Jennings said, noting that the gunman was “shooting from upstairs.”

It was the deadliest day for U.S. law enforcement in one incident since five officers were killed by a sniper during a protest in Dallas in 2016.

Hughes’ criminal record in North Carolina goes back more than a decade. It includes prison time and convictions for breaking and entering, reckless driving, eluding arrest and illegally possessing a gun as a former felon, according to state records.

Star Pulliam, a cousin of Hughes, said he had just bought the home where the shootout occurred. Pulliam said the pair were close and talked nearly every day. She said Hughes was an electrician for more than 15 years. He posted short videos of complex electrical wiring on his LinkedIn profile.

Despite past struggles with the law, Pulliam said it seemed to her like Hughes “had been straightening his life out,” she said.

Saing Chhoeun, who lives next door, recalled hearing several demands that Hughes leave the home. There was no response, he said, but then a car alarm went off about the same time as gunfire.

He said an armored vehicle was subsequently parked between the house and the wounded officers to serve as protection during a rescue attempt. After a three-hour standoff, the home was torn open by specialty vehicles.

“I don’t know how many rounds were fired. But then it got quiet," Chhoeun told The Associated Press.

Two females who were inside the house, including a minor, were cooperating and have not been charged, the police chief said, adding that investigators weren't pursuing additional suspects.

Jennings said Monday that a second shooter was suspected of firing at police. But by Tuesday, he was backing off and said that possibility was still being checked.

Before taking questions from reporters, officials expressed sorrow and awe for the slain and wounded officers.

Eyer was recently honored as a Charlotte-Mecklenburg officer of the month, partly for working to get guns off the streets. Jennings said he was killed while responding to others who were facing gunfire at the scene.

“We saw ... officers going into the line of fire to save their brothers in blue, who have gone down in the act of trying to keep our community safe,” Jennings said. “To me, that’s truly heroic.”

Residents in the neighborhood of modest brick homes expressed fear a day later.

"We’ve been here such a long time — you raise your children here — and then all the sudden you have this tragedy,” said Yearly Washington, who has lived there for 35 years.

The last marshal killed in the line of duty was in November 2018. Chase White was shot in Tucson, Arizona, by a man wanted for stalking local law enforcement.

The Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force, headquartered in Charlotte, is comprised of 70 federal, state and local agencies collaborating to capture crime suspects.

“This is a loss for the entire country," said Marshals Service Director Ronald Davis, who traveled to Charlotte. “Losing a deputy, losing task force officers, is like losing a family member because, quite frankly, they are family members.”

Contributing to this report were John Raby and Leah Willingham in Charleston, West Virginia; Sarah Brumfield in Silver Spring, Maryland; and Ed White in Detroit.

An American flag and flowers cover a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police vehicle at the North Tryon Station in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, April 30, 2024 where Charlotte-Mecklenburg Officer Joshua Eyer was stationed. Police in North Carolina say a shootout that killed four law enforcement officers, including Eyer, and wounded four others began as officers approached the home to serve a warrant for a felon wanted for possessing a firearm on April 29. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Charlotte firefighters from Engine 7 bring flowers to a flag-covered Charlotte-Mecklenburg police vehicle at the North Tryon Station in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, April 30, 2024, where Charlotte-Mecklenburg Officer Joshua Eyer was stationed. Police in North Carolina say a shootout that killed several law enforcement officers, including Eyer, and wounded others began as officers approached a home on Monday to serve a warrant for a felon wanted for possessing a firearm. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Debris covers a home on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, where a shootout between a suspect and officers occurred on Monday, in Charlotte, N.C. Police say a shootout that killed four law enforcement officers and wounded four others began as officers approached the home to serve a warrant for a felon wanted for possessing a firearm. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Rev. Raymond Johnson, of Marion, S.C., arranges flowers on the lawn of the home on Galway Drive in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, April 30, 2024 where a shootout between a suspect and officers occurred during an attempt to serve a warrant on April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

People take photos of a home, Tuesday, April 30, 2024, where a shootout between a suspect and officers occurred on Monday, in Charlotte, N.C. Police say a shootout that killed four law enforcement officers and wounded four others began as officers approached the home to serve a warrant for a felon wanted for possessing a firearm. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Debris covers the lawn of a home from Monday's standoff with police in Charlotte, N.C. on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Police in North Carolina say a shootout that killed four law enforcement officers and wounded four others began as officers approached the home to serve a warrant for a felon wanted for possessing a firearm. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings pauses to compose himself during a press conference in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, April 30, 2024, regarding a shooting that killed four officers during an attempt to serve a warrant on April 29. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper speaks at a press conference in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, April 30, 2024, regarding the shooting that killed several officers and wounded others during an attempt to serve a warrant on Monday. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles speaks at a press conference in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, April 30, 2024, regarding the shooting that killed several officers and wounded others during an attempt to serve a warrant on Monday. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings leaves a press conference in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, April 30, 2024, regarding a shooting that killed four officers during an attempt to serve a warrant on April 29. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Ronald Davis, Director of the United States Marshals Service, speaks during a press conference in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, April 30, 2024, regarding a shooting that killed four officers during an attempt to serve a warrant on April 29. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings listens to a question during a press conference in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, April 30, 2024, regarding a shooting that killed four officers during an attempt to serve a warrant on April 29. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings wipes away tears as he speaks at a press conference in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, April 30, 2024, regarding the shooting that killed four officers during an attempt to serve a warrant on April 29. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

An undated photo provided by the U.S. Marshals Service shows Thomas M. Weeks. Weeks was a deputy U.S. Marshal assigned to the Western District of North Carolina and was one of four officers killed in a shootout Monday, April 29, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. (U.S. Marshals Service via AP)

This photo provided by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department shows Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer Joshua Eyer. A shootout on Monday, April 29, 2024, killed Eyer, and three law enforcement officers and wounded four others in North Carolina began as officers approached a home to serve a warrant for a felon wanted for possessing a firearm, police said. (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department via AP)

This photo provided by North Carolina Department of Corrections shows William Elliott, assigned with U.S. Marshals Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force. Elliott was killed after a shootout that killed four law enforcement officers and wounded four others on Monday, April 29, 2024 in Charlotte, N.C. (North Carolina Department of Corrections via AP)

This photo provided by North Carolina Department of Corrections shows Samuel Poloche, assigned with U.S. Marshals Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force. Poloche was killed after a shootout that killed four law enforcement officers and wounded four others on Monday, April 29, 2024 in Charlotte, N.C. (North Carolina Department of Corrections via AP)

North Carolina Attorney general Josh Stein speaks at a press conference in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Police say a shootout that killed several law enforcement officers and wounded others began as officers approached a home to serve a warrant for a felon wanted for possessing a firearm. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings pauses at a press conference in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, April 30, 2024, regarding the shooting of four officers during an attempt to serve a warrant on April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Debris surrounds a home, Tuesday, April 30, 2024, where a shootout between a suspect and officers occurred on Monday, in Charlotte, N.C. Police say a shootout that killed four law enforcement officers and wounded four others began as officers approached the home to serve a warrant for a felon wanted for possessing a firearm. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

This combo of undated images provided by law enforcement, shows, from left, Sam Poloche and William Elliott of the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections; Charlotte-Mecklenburg Officer Joshua Eyer; and Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas Weeks. The four officers were killed and four others were wounded, Monday, April 29, 2024, in suburban Charlotte, as they approached a home to serve a warrant for a felon wanted for possessing a firearm. (North Carolina Department of Corrections (2), Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, US Marshals Service via AP)

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings wipes away tears as he speaks at a press conference in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, April 30, 2024, regarding the shooting that killed four officers during an attempt to serve a warrant on April 29. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Rev. Raymond Johnson, of Marion, S.C., arranges flowers on the lawn of the home on Galway Drive in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, April 30, 2024 where a shootout between a suspect and officers occurred during an attempt to serve a warrant on Monday. Four law enforcement officers were killed. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)