(26 May 2006)
May 26, 2006
1. Various of march
2. Group dressed in white
3. Various of march
4. Woman carrying child on her back
5. Banner reading "Stop racism; Diversity is reality"
6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Daniel Peterfreund, Forum (Jewish organisation) spokesman:
"Well, I feel indeed that racism and anti-semitism has increased over the last few years and the moment has come to build a bridge against racism together with all other people here in Antwerp."
7. Various of march
8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Tahir Bilek, Turkish resident:
"I see a lot of Belgian people, I see Jewish people, you know, Jewish people and Muslim people, we don't march together, we don't talk. I saw in the back two Jewish people, two Muslim people, they were talking, marching, so, let's hope it makes a difference."
9. March
FILE: May 12, 2006
10. Man placing flowers at murder scene of toddler and babysitter
11. Close-up of flowers
12. Close-up of candles
13. People visiting murder scene
14. Woman crying
15. Children's drawings in memory of the victims
STORYLINE:
Thousands rallied on Friday in the Belgian port city of Antwerp to protest against racism and violence following the murder of a toddler and her black baby sitter two weeks ago.
The march was organised as a show of solidarity with minorities across Belgium, and as a way to ease ethnic tensions in Antwerp.
The family of the two-year-old toddler, Luna Drowart, who was buried last week, declined to participate in the march, while relatives of the slain baby sitter, 24-year-old Oulemata Niangadou, whose body was repatriated to her home country of Mali, were expected to attend.
The march was led by schoolchildren carrying banners that read: "Stop racism; Diversity is reality."
Organisers said they expected 50,000 people to participate, but police put attendance at 18,000-20,000, citing rainy weather.
The silent procession wound its way through the streets of the historic city centre, near where the two victims were gunned down in broad daylight on May 11.
The 18-year-old man accused of the crimes also shot and seriously injured a woman of Turkish origin before police shot him in the stomach.
The suspect, who has been charged with murder, remains under guard in hospital.
The murders, which police believe were racially motivated, happened in a city which has for years struggled to keep peace between ethnic communities.
Antwerp is the home of the popular anti-immigrant Flemish Interest party, alongside large Orthodox Jewish and Moroccan communities.
The killings have outraged many and spurred the Belgian government into speeding up the overhaul of gun laws.
The murders sparked widespread concern that the attacks could be part of a wider trend of racist violence.
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