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SHOTLIST
Louvain-la-Neuve
1. Various top shots of students gathered in Louvain-la-Neuve main square waving Belgium colours and chanting
2. Various of students signing protest wall
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Jean-Gabriel Vermeire, Event organiser:
“We know that it’s very difficult to make a government and there are a lot of problems in Belgium. We understand that it’s not easy, but you don’t have to say that the economic problems of Belgium is our fault, the fault of the citizens because they don’t live with each other, it’s not true. The division is not in our name and we want a government now. You have to make your job now.”
4. Wide top shot pan of flash mob with participants forming the symbols “EN (Flemish for one) = UN (French for one)”
5. Close up of demonstrators
6. Wide pan of flash mob
7. Wide of french fries stand
8. Tilt up from flyers reading (French) “Revolution of the fries” to frying pan
9. Close up of woman eating fries
10. Wide of petition signature desk
11. Mid of girl signing petition
12. SOUNDBITE (French) Romain Delperdange, demonstrator:
“We are here to show how fed up we are, because it is not about the languages, it is not about the different communities, it is about one country, we have a common history and we want to have a future, and that’s it, we are fed up, we are really fed up.”
13. Mid of girls posing with Belgium flag
Ghent
14. Woman taking her top off
15. Mid of people dancing in their underwear
16. Wide of the crowd
18. Three girls taking their clothes off
19. Close up of girl taking her trousers off
20. SOUNDBITE (English) Frea van Craeynest, girl student who stripped:
“I think that it is time we the people of Belgium show the politicians and everybody that we are fed up. They have to do something and we are standing here in our underwear to show them that it is time for action. No talking. Action.”
21. Girls dancing in their underwear
22. Mid of man watching people undress
23. Wide of crowd dancing
24. SOUNDBITE (English) Stefaan van Parys, student who stripped:
“It was a big success. There was a lot of people. A lot of people took their clothes off and I think we showed them something nice today.”
25. Man in underwear holding sign
STORYLINE
What would be a humiliation for many turned into a party for Belgium on Thursday as the country’s citizens marked 249 days without a government, a figure that they are treating as a world record in political waffling.
On every other day, the crisis pits the leaders of 6 million (m) Dutch-speakers against those of 4.5 million (m) French speakers, but people from across the country put aside their differences to celebrate the occasion.
Around 500 Belgian demonstrators gathered in the French-speaking student town of Louvain-la-Neuve on Thursday, to mark what many claimed was a new world record.
In Louvain-la-Neuve they organised a flash mob, representing both languages, as the group spelt out their calls for the creation of a unity government.
“We know that it’s very difficult to make a government and there are a lot of problems in Belgium,” said event organiser Jean-Gabriel Vermeire, adding “but you don’t have to say that the economic problems of Belgium is our fault, the fault of the citizens because they don’t live with each other, it’s not true.”
Participants could also be seen indulging in what some are calling the “Fries Revolution”.
Fries, like the king and the under-performing national football team, are one of the few symbols that still unites Belgians.
In Leuven a long line of students snaked through the central square for a free portion of Belgium’s beloved national dish, in a show of gastronomic unity.
In the end only two dozen people stripped down to their underwear.
You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/ea64c46225ef972ace5316ac4afaa67f
Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
