The Belgian police have arrested at least 25 rioters after a protest in the Brussels municipality of Anderlecht turned into violence on Saturday. It has been restless in the municipality since a Friday night, a nineteen-year-old man died after a collision with a police vehicle. The boy had fled from a police corona check, writes VRT NWS.
Dozens of young people took to the streets on Saturday to protest against the police, after a call on social media. The police deployed security forces and policemen were pelted with stones. At least one person was injured. Four police cars are also said to have been destroyed.
The protesters also managed to steal a firearm from a police van, reports HLN. That would have shot into the air several times. “We are now actively detecting that weapon, but have not yet found it,” Patrick Evenepoel of the police told the newspaper.
The riots followed the death of the nineteen-year-old man in Anderlecht last Friday. The man died when he fled from the police, who wanted to check him for using a scooter. In Belgium, due to the applicable corona measures, a scooter may currently only be used to travel to and from work. Violations of the rules carry a fine of 250 euros.
Boy collided head-on with police car
Around 9 p.m., the local police noticed two young people in Anderlecht, each of whom was on their own scooter, Willemien Baert of the Brussels public prosecutor tells VRT NWS. When police wanted to check the two, the nineteen-year-old fled, writes VRT NWS. The officers chased the man, but lost sight of him and called for reinforcements.
When the man tried to overtake a white van moments later, he collided head-on with the police car coming from the other side and was called up to provide assistance. The man was killed.
The man’s death caused a lot in Anderlecht. Evenepoel says that for now the unrest has subsided, but that it can flare up again at any time.
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