During preparations for the carnival parade in Quiévrain, in the province of Hainaut, Wallonia, a brawl broke out on Saturday evening.
Impatient drivers, frustrated with the wait, attacked several Gilles and musicians. Three people sustained minor injuries and were taken to hospital.
The offenders fled to France, just a few hundred metres from where the incident occurred, and remain at large.
The main carnival event in Quiévrain is scheduled for 6 April. However, preliminary parades are already taking place, and special traffic measures are in effect.
Local media report that the incident has sparked emotional reactions. The mayor of Quiévrain has stressed to various media outlets that this incident is not comparable to the tragic event in Strépy in 2022, where a speeding car drove into a parade, resulting in six fatalities.
