During the New Year’s celebration in Brussels, Belgian police carried out 160 arrests within the Brussels region alone. In some areas, troublemakers targeted police officers and paramedics with fireworks. For Vincent Gilles, President of the SLFP police union, this situation is "unacceptable".
In a comment to Sudinfo, the union leader expressed his anger at the attacks against his colleagues and workers from Belgium’s emergency services. “This shows that the judiciary and magistrates must ask themselves questions. There is something wrong with the Kingdom of Belgium,” he said.
Footage shared online appeared to show large gangs of masked troublemakers setting fires, throwing stones and firing fireworks at police in Molenbeek, Etterbeek, Ixelles, Saint-Gilles, Anderlecht, Bockstael, Saint-Josse, the Northern Quarter, Neder-Over-Heembeek, and neighbourhoods in Flemish Brabant.
“Nowadays, we are surprised that the fireworks used against our colleagues are more powerful than before and we don’t even stop to ask ourselves whether it's normal or not that they’re using fireworks against our colleagues! How can it be that on a holiday, fireworks are fired at police officers or ambulance drivers?,” he continued.
Brussels’ six active police zones carried out 690 interventions on 31 December to 1 January, half them being responded to by officers in the city centre, Ixelles, and West zone (Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, Jette, Ganshoren, Sint-Agatha-Berchem, Koekelberg.)
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Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden also spoke critically of the actions of troublemakers during the celebrations. The minister has supported calls from the SNPS police union to enact a zero tolerance policy for violence against police and firefighters.
"We must do everything to reduce the number of acts of violence to a minimum and prosecute and punish the perpetrators," she said on Monday. "We are indebted to our police officers and firefighters who are committed every day to guarantee our safety."
One paramedic attacked in Brussels says that he was forced to flee after being attacked by fireworks. The paramedic was attending the scene near Avenue Jean Volders in Saint-Gilles, where emergency crews were attempting to provide care for a person who had fallen from a fifth floor balcony. The suspect later died from their injuries.
"The doctor had not even been able to announce the death to the family yet when we received several projectiles – glass bottles and stones – thrown in our direction," one paramedic told Le Soir.
The crews were forced to flee, barely managing to cover the body with a white sheet. "I had a great feeling of disgust," the paramedic said.
In Antwerp, one person was seriously injured following clashes between hooligans and local police. In the north of the city, clashes took place with police, where stones were thrown towards officers. Elsewhere, vehicles were set on fire and vandalised.
Across Flanders, transport workers complained that their vehicles had come under fire from fireworks and stones. Several bus stops were also damaged.
