«The Family Is Truly Important!» was the theme of Saturday’s rally in the city’s Parc du Cinquantenaire, organized by the Institute of Family Policies. The demonstrators represented 10 international pro-family federations and 600 not-for-profit organizations.
Preceding the event, some 20,000 signatures were obtained in support of the idea of marriage being only between a man and a woman, and the right of children to have a father and a mother.
Organizers clarified that the rally was not a rejection of homosexuals, but rather a rejection of same-sex unions being given the same status as a traditional marriage.
The Belgian episcopal conference supported the march with a statement calling the event «a peaceful gesture in favor of the family.»
As a show of support for the march, Spanish families protested in front of the Belgian embassies and consulates in Madrid, Barcelona, Granada, Seville, Malaga, Mallorca and Tenerife.