KEY POINTS:
Braving rain and hail, about 700 Belgian couples took part in a symbolic ceremony in a town where three couples refused to be married by a black official.
In a show of solidarity against those who have given the term "white wedding" a bad name, the couples exchanged or renewed their marriage vows in the town of St-Niklaas.
The demonstration was in support of Wouter Van Bellingen, who was born in Rwanda but adopted by a Flemish family at birth and was elected a councillor in the town last October.
In February, when the three couples refused to be married by him, Van Bellingen, the town's deputy mayor, described the incident as "the most primitive form of racism", because it was motivated by "nothing but the colour of my skin".
At least 2000 messages have poured in since then.
- INDEPENDENT
