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Fox News
a day ago
- Politics
- Fox News
'Billboard Chris' sounds off after arrest in 'most woke city' for opposing transgender treatments for kids
Conservative activists warned about the threat to free speech in Europe after they were arrested in Brussels, Belgium on Thursday for holding signs opposing transgender medical treatments for children. Chris Elston, better known as "Billboard Chris," and Alliance Defending Freedom International senior legal communications officer Lois McLatchie Miller spoke to Fox News Digital after they were released, hours after being harassed by a crowd and taken into police custody. Elston, well known for wearing billboards decrying transgender medical care for children out in public, stood out in the streets of the Belgian capital alongside McLatchie Miller. Both wore billboards with the messages, "Children are never born in the wrong body" and "Children cannot consent to puberty blockers." Elston travels the world to spread his message, which he says mostly receives positive feedback. But in Brussels, it was mostly opposition. "It was pretty much non-stop abuse and harassment," Elston told Fox News Digital. "It quickly became apparent that this is probably the most woke city I have been to in my five years of campaigning, and nothing else comes close." "We had a man throw a glass bottle at us. It landed behind me, but right in front of a five-year-old girl who was walking with her dad, smashed on the ground. People were telling me I needed to get out of there because Antifa was going to come, and no matter where we walked in the city, we were getting a lot of grief," he added. After one man continually harassed McLatchie Miller, the pair called the police for protection. Instead, they were told if they didn't remove their signs, they would be arrested. They were then detained, strip-searched and had their signs confiscated, before they were released three hours later with no formal charge, Elston said. "They put us in handcuffs and everything, but they just let us go, and it seems they just wanted to get rid of us instead of dealing with the angry, unruly mob," he added. The activists were in Brussels this week to share their message and discuss policy issues with members of the European Parliament. McLatchie Miller, who works for the faith-based legal organization, Alliance Defending Freedom International, said it was surprising to find herself detained, when she is usually fighting for ADF clients whose speech has been silenced by local authorities. "I don't think we were quite prepared to expect this level of hostility here in Brussels, but hopefully it exposes some things that need to be exposed about the need to protect freedom of expression in Europe," she told Fox News Digital. Vice President JD Vance recently sounded the alarm about free speech being under threat in Europe. In a speech in Munich in February, he raised the case of a British army veteran who was arrested and charged for silently praying in an abortion buffer zone to warn that Europe appeared to be retreating from some of its fundamental values it shares with the U.S. and adopting "Soviet-era" censorship. McLatchie Miller said her arrest "really represents the free speech crisis that Europe is facing right now." "Vance pointed this out in his Munich speech just a few months ago, and many people in Europe laughed at him and said that this wasn't true," she continued. "But case after case, time after time, we're seeing this assault on free speech unfold." "As Chris and I were just there sharing a very peaceful message, a very important message, that no child has ever been born in the wrong body, and they do not need drugs and scalpels to fix themselves, they need love and affirmation. It's an opinion that's shared by many people across Europe, and yet the authorities came and shut down that conversation in the streets of this capital city, this heart of the European Union." "If free speech is not accessible here in Europe's alleged home of democracy, then it's not accessible anywhere, and it really does raise an alarm bell," she said. Brussels police did not immediately return a request for comment. Their arrest comes at a time when Elston believes there is a growing movement across the globe of those questioning or criticizing transitioning children. "We're making tremendous progress all across the globe," he said. He cited European countries like Finland, Denmark, and the United Kingdom which now discourage giving puberty blockers to children experiencing gender dysphoria. "The truth is spreading," he added. Elston said he speaks to people on both sides of the aisle who share his concerns about transitioning children, and he believes it was one major issue that swung voters away from the Democratic Party in the 2024 election. "This was the number one issue in the U.S. election that caused swing voters to vote for President Donald Trump," he argued. "It wasn't the economy, it wasn't immigration, it was transgender insanity. And even in these Democrat states, a lot of those voters are sick and tired of this."
The Independent
7 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Reprieve for critically ill Mexican girl, 4, who could have died within days if deported under Trump order
The family of a four-year-old girl from California who is suffering from a rare disease will be spared deportation so that she can continue to receive life-saving medical treatment in the U.S. The family was granted temporary humanitarian permission to enter the U.S. from her home country of Mexico in 2023 after the little girl, Sofia, urgently needed treatment for short bowel syndrome, a rare condition that stops her from absorbing nutrients in food. The treatment she required was not available in Mexico and she condition was worsening, according to the family's lawyers. The family was targeted for deportation by the Trump administration, according to their lawyers. However, following media reports highlighting her case, lawmakers organized to demand she be given the chance to stay for humanitarian reasons. In April, the girl's mother, Deysi Vargas, learned that her humanitarian protections and her own permission to legally work in the U.S. was being revoked by the Trump administration, and a letter informing of her of that change advised her to voluntarily leave or else "the federal government will find you." Sofia's condition requires her to receive regular medical treatments that force her to be hooked up to an intravenous feeding system for 14 hours at night. Only a specialist team from Children's Hospital Los Angeles can oversee her medical needs. Her doctors at the hospital told the Los Angeles Times that she could die within days of stopping her treatments. 'By moving quickly, the agency has ensured that a four‑year‑old girl can continue receiving the specialized medical treatment that keeps her alive,' the family's attorney, Rebecca Brown of the nonprofit Public Counsel, told the LA Times. However, many families still face harm under the sweeping policy to do away with humanitarian parole. We ask the government to ensure that no one be put in harm's way.' A group of 38 congressional Democrats, including California Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, gathered to condemn her scheduled deportation and advocate on the family's behalf. The family learned on Monday via a letter from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service that they had been granted "Humanitarian Parole for a period of one year." The Trump administration previously denied that the girl was being deported after her story became national news. Last week, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told The Independent via email that the family's application for humanitarian parole was "still being considered." 'Any reporting that Vargas and her family are actively being deported are FALSE,' the official said. 'This family applied with USCIS for humanitarian parole on May 14, 2025, and the application is still being considered.'
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
1 person shot in Saturday morning incident on Hallandale avenue, officials say
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - Palm Bay Police are investigating a shooting that occurred Saturday morning on the 1800 block of Hallandale Avenue southwest. Authorities confirmed that one person was shot during the incident. According to Palm Bay Police Lieutenant Graves, all individuals involved have been accounted for, and one person was airlifted for medical treatment. The investigation is ongoing. Updates will be provided as more information becomes available. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source This information came from Palm Bay Police Lieutenant Cliff Graves on May 24, 2025.
