Across Flanders, people have been celebrating Flemish Community Day, which marks the 1302 defeat of a battalion of French cavalry in Kortrijk by a militia from the cities of Flanders. Since 1973, the day has been a public holiday in Flanders.
The official commemoration took place at the Ijzertoren in Diksmuide, West Flanders, where minister-president Geert Bourgeois laid a wreath from his government in memory of the victims of the First World War. The 11 July celebrations were not so much a commemoration of a medieval battle, he said, but a link to all Flemings: “Those of 100 years ago, those of today and those 100 years in the future.”
In the main celebrations in Brussels, 11,000 people gathered on Muntplein for Brussel Danst (pictured), a series of events organised by Muntpunt including guided walks, dance battles, a tango class and a concert on the Grote Markt featuring Discobaar A Moeder and Bart Peeters.