Bruges (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Activist Wouter Mouton refused €20,000 payment for Burg Square chalk cleaning in Bruges. Mayor Dirk De Fauw says invoices were a pressure tactic; protests ran every Sunday since early July 2025.
As VRT News reported, activist Wouter Mouton has been refused payment of €20,000 for cleaning Burg Square in Bruges after peace protests. Since early July 2025, Mouton and several activists have gathered every Sunday in front of City Hall to write peace messages in chalk.
“The actions are permitted, and chalk drawings are permitted within the designated area next to City Hall,”
says Mayor Dirk De Fauw (CD&V).
The fire department carried out the cleaning, but the city council has refused to pay the invoices. Officials said the activity was not officially authorised.
“This is pure intimidation,”
says Mouton.
“Chalk doesn’t cause damage or pollution, and its use isn’t prohibited anywhere. Yet, they’re treating us as if we’re disturbing public order.”
What led Wouter Mouton to receive €20,000 invoices for Burg Square chalk protests?
Mayor Dirk De Fauw said Mouton does not have to pay the invoices. He explained that the cleaning measures were meant to pressure the activist to follow local guidelines.
“We do not allow chalk in front of the town hall because it is a historic monument where many tourists take photos,”
De Fauw said. He also noted that the area is popular for wedding pictures, and city authorities want to keep it clean and presentable for residents and visitors.
Similar situations have happened in Belgium before. In 2019, climate activists wrote messages in chalk on the sidewalk outside City Hall in Ghent. The authorities removed the chalk and cautioned that the use of historic spaces and busy public spaces was not permitted for protests or demonstrations without city permission.
