BELGIUM: Children and activists spread a giant peace flag to protest against military spending in the Flemish city of Ghent

Record ID: 349564

  • Title: BELGIUM: Children and activists spread a giant peace flag to protest against military spending in the Flemish city of Ghent
  • Date: 22nd September 2012
  • Summary: GHENT, BELGIUM (SEPTEMBER 21, 2012) (REUTERS) GHENT'S HISTORICAL CITY CENTRE, CANAL PEACE FLAG HUNG ON HISTORICAL BUILDING TOURISTS ON BRIDGE HISTORICAL BUILDINGS CHILDREN ROLLING GIANT PEACE FLAG LINE OF CHILDREN ROLLING FLAG CHILDREN HANDS ROLLING FLAG, PEACE SIGN ON A CHILD'S HAND LINE OF CHILDREN, HISTORICAL BUILDING IN BACKGROUND LITTLE GIRLS WITH PEACE SIGN
  • Embargoed: 7th October 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Belgium
  • Country: Belgium
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVACDSD36QD50YO0S22EZ35ABWJ2
  • Story Text: Several dozens of children unrolled a giant peace flag on a square of the historical Flemish city of Ghent on Friday (September 21).
    The event was co-organized by a group of local peace activists and Ghent municipality to mark the International Day of Peace.
    Children from five local schools unrolled the 50 by 30 metre rainbow flag at around 10.00gmt on Korenmarkt square before rolling it back one hour later.
    A spokesman for Belgian Peace Organisation Vrede, activist Ludo De Brabander claimed the peace flag is the world's largest. De Brabander said the event is aimed at raising attention on the world's military spending.
    "We try to make an appeal to the world to disarm, to develop because the world is spending 1.7 trillion dollars on armaments, which is a huge amount and year after year, it is increasing," De Brabander said.
    De Brabander said that spending so much money was particularly unacceptable in a context of an international economic and ecological crisis.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Footage contains identifiable children: users must ensure that they comply with local laws and regulations governing the publishing of this material.
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