Climate activists are filing a complaint with the standing police monitoring committee, Comité P, over alleged police brutality in protests across Belgium last weekend.
Members of the Code Rouge protest group gathered near Deurne Airport in Antwerp and Alibaba's depot at Liège Airport over the weekend. The group stated that the demonstrations were peaceful, yet police reportedly detained a total of 535 activists – sometimes with alarming levels of force.
In Antwerp, police allegedly broke the arm and fingers of one activist with a baton. The individual has since undergone surgery and will take three months to recover. Another activist's arm was reportedly broken in Liège. Moreover, those held in custody were denied access to life-saving medication such as insulin and asthma medication.
Police arresting protesters at Antwerp Airport during Code Rouge's march against the aviation sector on Sunday 17 December 2023. Credit: Belga / Nicolas Maeterlinck
'Tip of the iceberg'
"These accounts are just the tip of the iceberg. Additional complaints will follow, particularly regarding the mistreatment of hundreds of arrested individuals whose fundamental rights have been disregarded and violated," warned Code Rouge.
The activists' demands include bans on private jets, ending aviation subsidies, as well as greater investment in public transport.
