Gordel goes forth in the sunshine as talks collapse

This year’s Gordel walking and cycling event in the Flemish municipalities ringing Brussels was marked by fine weather, but also by a return of the vandalism that has marred previous years, as protestors against the Flemish character of the event threw nails onto the road to damage bicycle tyres. Despite that, more than 80,000 people took part.

Earlier, the head of Bloso, which organises the event, said this year's Gordel (which means "belt") could be the last, if politicians were able to reach an agreement on splitting the electoral district of Brussels-Halle- Vilvoorde. By the time Sunday came, however, that possibility had been ruled out for the time being.

Elsewhere, the French-speaking mayor of the Brussels commune of Oudergem warned that a campaign running on De Lijn buses to encourage people to learn Dutch was in "dubious taste" and risked making Brussels, where many De Lijn buses run, more Flemish.

(September 8, 2010)