The curfew imposed by the mayor of Anderlecht in the Cureghem district on minors under the age of 16 continues to cause noise. Parents went all the way to the Council of State to have this decision annulled. The auditor of the Council of State considers that this measure is illegal, but not enough to suspend it. How do residents of the neighborhood feel?
This morning, in the Cureghem district, the atmosphere is not really one of preparation for New Year’s Eve, but rather of apprehension. “The neighborhood has declined significantly in recent years, I think it’s becoming sad Anderlecht“, reacted a resident.
The young people from the neighborhood we met do not share this sadness. It was impossible for them to spend the evening of the 31st at home, even though everyone was well aware of the excesses that evening. “The truth, I think I’m still going to enjoy it with my friends, enjoy it, but without doing any damage. Make firecrackers with friends and everything, but without necessarily exaggerating. It’s still part of the festivity”assures one. “There are little idiots who break everything. The next day, your car, you go to park it, it is burned because there are thugs who broke it for nothing. Instead of it being a New Year, instead of partying, they break things up and I think that’s not cool.”regrets the other young Anderlecht resident.
These are recurring excesses. Every January 1st, charred cars and remains of fireworks on the ground are found in the streets of the neighborhood. This Saturday again, more than 5,000 firecrackers were seized in the Cureghem district.
A contested measure
This year, the municipality of Anderlecht has decided to introduce a curfew for young people under 16 years old. Ban on going out unaccompanied in the neighborhood on New Year’s Eve. A decision hotly contested among local residents. “We’re just going to create tension. Especially since we announce in advance that we are going to ban young people under 16 years old. So, the other older young people will take this as a little threat and will do more“, reacted a citizen.
Parents went a step further. They filed a request with the Council of State to try to cancel this measure. “It is an open door to future orders which risk hindering the freedom of our young people, believes Nathalie Preudhomme, a local resident. I ask the mayor of Anderlecht to counter real violence, that is to say the drug scene, big banditry. A week ago, someone was killed with a Kalashnikov in front of my house. I want him to move on this, and to stop stigmatizing young people“.
A nuanced decision
At the end of the hearing, there were no big smiles, but no big disappointment either. The opinion of the auditor of the Council of State is nuanced. The exit ban is certainly illegal, but it must not be suspended. “The auditor nevertheless noted certain absurdities in the order which was issued, in particular the fact that all minors under 16 years of age are automatically concerned, and above all that no alternative measure has been found, and let it be automatically an arrest. But actually, where it does not follow us is the question of harm. Is the damage serious enough to be able to invoke this procedure in extreme urgency?“, specifies Marine Lanoy, the applicants’ lawyer.
At this stage, house arrest is therefore still applicable. The judge of the Council of State must still decide.
new year’s eve anderlecht cureghem police young people excesses
