Sunday 26 September, 150 peace activists cycled from Kiewit (Hasselt) to the air base in Kleine-Brogel, a tour of 27 km under the name Bikes not Bombs. Among them were a number of peace activists from Germany, the Netherlands and the US. At the base they had a picnic with speeches follow by a human chain.

About 20 US nuclear bombs are located in Kleine-Brogel, which, according to the NATO nuclear sharing arrangements, must be deployed by Belgian fighter jets in wartime. These nuclear bombs will be replaced by new B61-12 bombs between 2022 and 2024. The presence of nuclear arms at the air base and their planned replacement is a public secret.

The activists demand the removal of the current nuclear bombs as soon as possible and the abandonment of the planned replacement by new ones. They are also outraged that there is a total lack of transparency on these dangerous weapons of mass destruction which makes political debate and scrutiny impossible. They also want Belgium to accede to the UN Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which has been in force since the beginning of this year. So far, the Belgian government has refused to sign the ban treaty.

The Bikes not Bombs cycling tour was part of the Nuke Free Europe campaign month with actions and demonstrations in Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.