Brussels under tension Monday evening: a demonstration against racism and violence degenerates into clashes with the police.
It all started on Sunday, May 4, during the Belgian Cup final opposing Anderlecht to Bruges. Brugeois supporters violently attacked those of Anderlecht. Brugeois hooligans have notably attacked several businesses from Molenbeek-Saint-Jean and threw and assaulted residents. The climbing was fast: a shooting broke out, injuring a supporter of the Bruges club.
Faced with these violence, the tension has not fallen. On the contrary, she won the streets of the Belgian capital the next day.
Calls to demonstrate disseminated on social networks
As of Monday morning, several calls to demonstrate against racism and violence at Hal’s door and on the Place de la Bourse were launched. Everything took place calm at Hal’s door, but tensions broke out elsewhere. The goal displayed: to denounce the behaviors tried “violent and racist” of some Bruges supporters. The same evening, around 500 people including a hundred young people, according to the police, answered the call and gathered in the city center of Brussels. For their part, ultras Bruges had expressed their intentions to return to the capital to do battle.
-“A procession then formed and borrowed the Boulevard Anspach towards the Gare du Midi. Different groups of young people then started playing “cat and mouse” with the police“Reports the Brussels-Capital/Ixelles police zone.
On the spot, the authorities, deployed in number, had to use tear gas to try to disperse the demonstrators of what was basically a demonstration in support of the Palestinian people. Several dozen young people got involved in the demonstrators before seeking confrontation with the police. Material damage was noted, and the atmosphere was quite tense. A policewoman was injured during the clashes.
“A dozen administrative arrests were carried out. A report will be drawn up for each person arrested“, Communicates the police. Belga also reports that twenty minors have been arrested around the rue Neuve because they had thrown projectiles.
Around 9:45 p.m., the situation calmed down. However, the police remained mobilized to avoid new overflows. Brussels Tensions Final Stock Exchange of Belgium Cup
