A planned visit by European Commissioner for Defense Andrius Kubilius to Belgian defense company Thales Belgium was canceled on Friday after authorities said they could not guarantee his safety amid a pro-Palestinian protest, according to Belga News Agency.
“The European Commission was forced to cancel the visit because local Belgian authorities were unable to guarantee the commissioner’s safety,” a commission spokesperson said.
Kubilius was due to visit the Herstal site together with Walloon Minister-President Adrien Dolimont.
Local authorities said they were informed of the visit only two days earlier and struggled to deploy sufficient security in time, citing the risk of larger demonstrations.
Herstal Mayor Frederic Daerden described the last-minute cancellation as a “wise” decision, pointing to public order concerns.
The protest was staged by pro-Palestinian activists and human rights groups, who have questioned Wallonia’s policy on the transit of military equipment to Israel.
A new meeting between the European Commission and Thales Belgium is expected to take place in Brussels at a later date.
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