Brussels faced mass riots on New Year’s Eve. Between 18:00 on Tuesday and 07:00 on Wednesday, the police responded to more than 1,700 incidents of shoigrad, during which 159 people were arrested.
The worst was in the western and southern districts of the Belgian capital, including Molenbeek and Anderlecht. These are neighborhoods where a large number of migrants live. At least 60 cars were burned, and firefighters trying to put out the blazes were pelted with rocks and Molotov cocktails, forcing them to retreat in some cases, according to the Brussels fire department.
How the ‘peace brigade’ in Brussels celebrates the New Year. pic.twitter.com/zLrAto4aAh
— Daniel Pawłowski (@pavvlovvsky13) January 1, 2025
“It was really crazy. We were there to help, and Molotov cocktails were thrown at us,” fire department spokesman Walter Derieuw told Politico. At midnight, the night sky was lit up with numerous fireworks, despite the ban on pyrotechnics in the city. Torches and firecrackers were lit in the city center as well. A motorcyclist threw fireworks at passers-by in the Ixelles district.
Brussels, Belgium.
Citizens of this country wished the police a Happy New Year 2025, sending them a little warmth on this chilly European night. pic.twitter.com/zuBmzkqFHe
— Tibo91 (@Tibortibor15) January 1, 2025
The riots broke out despite a series of measures aimed at curbing crime on New Year’s Eve. The measures included the introduction of a curfew for under-16s in Anderlecht, the historic unification of six police zones in Brussels under a central command and the deployment of hundreds of extra police officers.
In Antwerp, the second largest Belgian city, there were riots and fires, and the police recorded 49 arrests. Riots at New Year’s Eves in Belgium are becoming a tradition. Thus, on the eve of 2024, more than 200 people were arrested in Brussels.
“Unfortunately, it’s becoming a common thing,” Derieuw confirmed.
(Vijesti.ba)
www.vijesti.ba
