Belgian police contacted Facebook in order to find out how to stop the spread of the announcement of La Boum 2, an unauthorised party scheduled for this weekend in the Bois de la Cambre, Brussels Minister-President Rudi Vervoort said on Tuesday.
According to Vervoort, who was speaking at a mini-debate on current affairs in the Brussels parliament's home affairs committee, Facebook replied that it would only act on the request of the public prosecutor.
“We are in a state of law and therefore it is up to the public prosecutor to determine whether it is appropriate to have this removed from Facebook. These steps and all others have been brought to the attention of the Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs,” Vervoort added.
A series of meetings have taken place and will continue to take place between the mayor, the local and federal police, and the Director of Coordination and Support of the federal police, the last of whom is responsible for taking preparatory measures for the management of events, crisis situations or disasters at a supralocal level.
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Just as Philippe Close indicated to the Brussels City Council on Monday evening, Vervoort stressed that there had been no request for authorisation for the event, which is therefore prohibited by current coronavirus measures that forbid large gatherings.
Vervoort also agreed with the Mayor that the closure of Bois de la Cambre, which only the Mayor can decide, was not desirable.
It’s “not as simple as that” because of the length of the perimeter, he said.
The first La Boum was held on 1 April in Brussels’ Bois de la Cambre and had an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 attendees, in violation of the coronavirus measures.
It ended after intervention from riot police, and resulted in over 20 arrests and dozens of people injured. One party-goer was run over by a policeman on horseback, opening an investigation into the police response to the unauthorised gathering and prompting the creation of a petition against police use of horses.
The sequel to the party, La Boum 2, is scheduled for this Saturday, 1 May.
The Brussels Times
