Société des Amis de la Liberté et de L'Égalité

   An association that supported republican government in Brussels on the French model, the Société des Amis de la Liberté et de l'Égalité was founded in November 1792 following the arrival of French forces. Members greeted General Charles-François Dumouriez (1739-1823) in a ceremony at the church of the Jesuits and later planted a liberty tree on the place Meiboom. Inspired by the revolution in France, they called for abolition of religious and traditional privileges, and, in so doing, they clashed with supporters of the Estates, members of the nations, the clergy, and others, who together comprised a significant segment of the city's population. They gradually assumed control of the city government in 1793, endowing streets with revolutionary names, nationalizing the breweries, standardizing the weight and size of bread, and allowing merchants who were not members of the nations to sell their goods at the Grand' Place at lower prices than the latter. Excesses committed by members led to imprisonment of leaders in March 1793 and membership dropped from 500 to 50 and lower. The remaining leaders fled with the French in April and the group never regained its influence during the succeeding French regime. Most leaders were French emigrés and army officers who failed to understand the features characteristic of Belgian society.