BRUSSELS – Visitors to the historic Flemish town of Leuven last weekend may have been somewhat bemused to see many of the city’s statues sporting anti-dust masks of the kind worn by city cyclists.

The Flemish green party Groen! was behind the stone sculptures’ unusual makeover.

The ecologists wanted to make a point about air pollution ahead of next month’s European and regional elections.

Groen! is calling for pollution metres to be installed around Leuven in order to measure the quality of the air in the city.

They also want Leuven’s defunct tramway system to be resurrected and are demanding ‘dissuasive’ measures to encourage people to stop taking their children to school in the car.

[Copyright Expatica 2004]

Subject: Belgian news