After protests against the implementation of the 'Good Move' mobility plan broke out in Schaerbeek, politicians from the French-speaking green party Ecolo are accusing the francophone liberals MR and radical left-wing PTB/PVDA of having instigated the violence on display at the protests.
On Monday and Tuesday evenings, people took to Place Stephenson in the municipality of Schaerbeek to protest the 'Good Move' circulation plan of the Brussels Regional Government.
The aim is for traffic to be reduced in the capital's neighbourhoods by introducing new one-way streets, traffic filters, and prioritising pedestrians and cyclists before gradually turning car-free.
However, this had been met with widespread opposition by citizens in the municipalities in which the plan was going to be implemented, as motorists viewed it as an 'anti-car' policy while small business owners believe that it would push clients away.
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Nonetheless, the respective municipal councils persisted with the plan, with 'Good Move' being implemented in Schaerbeek on Monday, 24 October.
As a result, disgruntled motorists took to the Cage-aux-Ours neighbourhood on Monday and Thursday to protest by removing traffic bollards that had been put in place for the implementation of the plan. This also led to clashes between protestors and emergency services, with two police officers and a fireman reportedly being injured.
Party points
Among the protesters was Xavier Mezquita, who was identified by famed virologist Emmanuel André as being a member of the French-speaking liberal party MR in Schaerbeek. MR have consistently been opposed to 'Good Move.'
Translation of tweet: "The man who tore down a traffic sign to protect children in Schaerbeek is a political secretary for MR. He therefore participated in the consultation. What is interesting is that he runs a consultancy firm that advises the car industry."
Furthermore, Ecolo's co-president Rajae Maouane and the Brussels Minister for Mobility Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) both accused not only the liberal party, but also the radical left-wing party PTB/PVDA of having stoked the fires of the violent protests, due to their long-standing opposition to the plan.
Asked by BX1 to give her opinion on the matter, Maouane expressed her discontent at "the violence being fuelled and exacerbated by political parties," with Van den Brandt adding in an interview given to Radio 1 that "politicians from the PTB/PVDA and MR were stirring up trouble."
In response, both parties' presidents in the Brussels Parliament condemned the violent nature of the 'Good Move' protests all while restating the party line on why they opposed the mobility plan.
For the PTB/PVDA's Françoise De Smet, it was 'unacceptable' for Van den Brandt to accuse them of contributing to the violent scenes and recalled her party's wishes that citizens be consulted for the implementation of 'Good Move' as this was "only done via Zoom" in Anderlecht and Schaerbeek.
Translation of tweet: "The reality is that for so many workers in Brussels, there is no serious alternative today in terms of mobility. The municipalities are beginning to realise this, we can see it in Schaerbeek. The Brussels Government must hear this and revise the reform."
As for the MR's position, the party's president in the Brussels Parliament Alexia Bertand appeared on the same radio show as Van den Brandt where she agreed with De Smedt's claims that "consolation on the plan was minimal" and citizens "did not know what to expect" from Good Move.
In addition, she reiterated her party's condemnation of Mezquita, the protestor who tore down a road sign, but stated that "I am quite bored by this, as I cannot control all of our members and sympathisers."
What next though?
Following the protests, the municipality of Schaerbeek decided on Thursday to temporarily suspend the implementation in the Cage-aux-Ours neighbourhood.
Furthermore, there is a growing concern that additional demonstrations will occur and follow the precedent established by the 'Gilets Jaunes' movement in 2019.
Originally a protest against a carbon tax, the French demonstrations turned into a general action against the establishment. Given the current climate and cost of living crisis, it would not come as a surprise for the 'Good Move' protest to turn into something bigger.
