2 June 2020 Update from A Semi-Locked Down Ghent

The number of COVID-19 patients that are being cared for in Belgian hospitals continues to fall. However, a considerable number of new infections are still being recorded, 136 people tested positive for COVID-19. Amid the corona crisis the outcry over racism in the US continues to grow in Europe and is becoming an anti-trump cudgel. About 500 people demonstrated against racism on Monday afternoon on the Sint-Pieterplein in Ghent. Protesters demonstrated with slogans like “Stop racism”, “Le racisme tue” or “We can’t breathe”. The police tolerated that the group remained 30 minutes on the spot respecting social distanciations, which left them time to deliver a few speeches. The demonstrators also put one knee on the ground and raised their fist, adopting an American sign of peaceful protest against the police violence targeting African-American people. Today’s picture shows the Roeland bell and a little mural of Luc Thuymans. The Roeland bell was used as a storm bell and became the symbol of the city - Ghent, Belgium.