Almost one thousand people, including many Members of parliament and local council members, filed a formal complaint against the illegal storage of nuclear weapons in Belgium.

People waited in lines outside police stations across Belgium to make complaints against NATO and the Belgian government. Complaints were also filed by members of the governing parties, because the Belgian government and NATO are committing crimes against peace, war crimes and crimes against humanity. On 8th July 1996, the International Court of Justice in The Hague, the highest legal body in the world, stated that threat use or threat of nuclear weapons is incompatible with international humanitarian law. The International Court of Justice also stated that international humanitarian law, including The Geneva Convention, The Hague Convention, The Genocide Convention and the Nuremberg Principles apply to nuclear weapons. NATO and the Belgian government refuse to
bring their political positions in line with international law. Nuclear Weapons have been stored at Kleine Brogel Airforce Base in Belgium, since 1961.

The Belgian government makes preparations to use nuclear weapons, and gives orders to its military personnel to train with, and maintains these nuclear weapons. In wartime, Belgian F16's would carry these nuclear bombs to their target. With this nuclear policy, NATO and the Belgian government violate the rules of international law, as summarised by the International Court of Justice.

In Gent, Brussels, Geel, Diksmuide, Veurne, Hasselt, the number of people making complaints was so high that people were forced to queue outside the doors of the police stations. In the small village of Damme the police station was closed, but instead the mayor as the head of the police took the complaints. Members of Parliament and local politicians of most political parties (Agalev, NVA, Spirit, VLD, CD&V, SP.A, see list at end of this message) took part in the national complaint day. In Geel also the mayor, Frans Peeters (CD&V) filed a complaint. In a total of 25 towns, cities and villages, citizens visited their local police station. The list of locations included Dendermonde, Genk, Vilvoorde, Turnhout, Ninove, Luik, Malle, Veurne, Knokke Heist, Gent, Eeklo, Antwerpen, Brussel, Oostende, Leuven, Menen.

A complaint day also took place in Peer, the village closest to the military base of Kleine Brogel. In some places as Menen, Hechtel-Eksel, Beveren-Waas people turned up at the police station without advance notice, as they heard the news on the radio and found information and a model complaint on the Internet.

The police were very co-operative in all places. Forum Voor Vredesactie, For Mother Earth and Bomspotting, the groups organising the complaint day, stated that this legal action had been a great success. They are preparing for the next mass action at Kleine Brogel itself, the "Bomspotting" action on 5th October.

The following politicians were present:
Ferdy Willems (Agalev)
Peter Vanhoutte (Agalev)
Kris Van Dijck (NVA)
Leen Laenens (Agalev)
Michiel Maertens (Agalev)
Ludo Sannen (Agalev)
Dirk Holemans (Agalev)
Karel Van Hoorebeke (NVA)
Jan Roegiers (SPIRIT)
Eloi Glorieux (Agalev)
Vic Anciaux (SPIRIT)
Sven Gatz (VLD)
Anne-mie Descheemaecker

Frans Peeters (Mayor Geel CD&V)
Sven Saenen (Hechtel-Eksel, Anders)
Gert Thys (Hechtel-Eksel, Anders)
Filip Watteeuw (Gent, Agalev)
Matthieu Dierckx (Gent, CD&V)
Daniel Termont (Gent, SP-A)
Rik Jellema (Etterbeek, Agalev)
Marie-Paule Quix (Brussel)
Rohnny Buyens (Brussel, SP-A)
Willemn Stevens (St Gillis)
Luc Denys (Schaarbeek)
Annemie Vermeylen (Watermaal-Bosvoorde)
Dirk Lagast (Koekelberg)

For more information: Bomspotting website

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Friends of the Earth Flanders & Brussels (formerly For Mother Earth) is a member of Friends of the Earth International