Belgium requires a controversial class program. Now colleges are burning and the nation is apprehensive

BRUSSELS — A sequence of college arsons in Belgium believed to be linked to a controversial faculty program in some elements of the nation is prompting authorities to strengthen their police response.

Inside Minister Annelies Verlinden on Friday known as for a halt to the assaults within the French-speaking Wallonia area hours after one other faculty was set on hearth, the sixth within the Charleroi space because the begin of the week.

“We don’t contact our colleges,” the minister wrote on the X social community, previously referred to as Twitter. “Arson assaults in Brussels and Wallonia should cease. I’ve subsequently requested the federal police to offer assist to native areas to keep away from any escalation.”

Indicators protesting the so-called Evras mission have been found on a number of the colleges.

The Evras program is described as a software designed to assist youngsters and youngsters develop their relational and sexual lives. This faculty 12 months, some 100,000 pupils within the Wallonia-Brussels federation ages 11-12 and 15-16 should attend two classes, for a complete of 4 hours of coaching.

This system had been round and accessible all age teams for years however was not obligatory earlier than this faculty 12 months.

Along with the arsons, protests gathering a couple of hundred folks have additionally been organized in Brussels. A number of Islamic teams have additionally condemned this system in a joint assertion over fears it’s going to favor the “hypersexualization” of kids whereas rumors concerning the nature of Evras unfold on the Web.

“I wish to name on everybody to relax and check out as soon as once more to chop by the lies circulating concerning the Evras system,” the well being minister within the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, Caroline Desir, mentioned on Friday. “No, it doesn’t put together a pedophile system. No, it doesn’t plan to make youngsters need to change gender. No, it doesn’t plan to show youngsters the best way to interact in sexual actions.”

Native media quoting the Charleroi prosecutor’s workplace mentioned the investigation has not established a hyperlink between the six arsons thus far.

Charleroi mayor Paul Magnette in contrast the arsons to a “type of terrorism.”

“These are arson assaults on colleges, that are sacred locations,” he informed Sudinfo media. “They’re locations the place youngsters study respect and tolerance.”

In accordance with native media, two different colleges within the metropolis of Liege have additionally been vandalized.