Tensions Rise in Brussels Protests as Police Deploy Pepper Spray
(MENAFN) Demonstrations in Brussels and Liege began peacefully on Saturday, but tensions later escalated in the Belgian capital, where police used pepper spray and protesters constructed a barricade.
Around 300 people assembled at Mont des Arts in central Brussels around midday following calls from several groups, including Front des Meres, Ecole en Lutte and Jeunesse Organisee et Combative.
Participants protested alleged police violence and reforms introduced by the federal government.
Although authorities had approved the initial gathering, an unscheduled march toward the Marolles district and Brussels-South railway station was not authorized.
At around 2 pm local time (1200 GMT), several young demonstrators crossed a police cordon, prompting officers to use pepper spray along Chaussee de Forest in the Saint-Gilles district.
Near Porte de Hal, protesters built a barricade using shared electric scooters, bicycles, road signs and construction materials.
The unrest followed several days of false online calls for demonstrations circulating on TikTok and Instagram, accompanied by posters generated using artificial intelligence.
The morning remained calm at several locations mentioned in the online calls. However, as a precaution, some businesses in central Brussels closed and boarded up their windows.
Around 300 people assembled at Mont des Arts in central Brussels around midday following calls from several groups, including Front des Meres, Ecole en Lutte and Jeunesse Organisee et Combative.
Participants protested alleged police violence and reforms introduced by the federal government.
Although authorities had approved the initial gathering, an unscheduled march toward the Marolles district and Brussels-South railway station was not authorized.
At around 2 pm local time (1200 GMT), several young demonstrators crossed a police cordon, prompting officers to use pepper spray along Chaussee de Forest in the Saint-Gilles district.
Near Porte de Hal, protesters built a barricade using shared electric scooters, bicycles, road signs and construction materials.
The unrest followed several days of false online calls for demonstrations circulating on TikTok and Instagram, accompanied by posters generated using artificial intelligence.
The morning remained calm at several locations mentioned in the online calls. However, as a precaution, some businesses in central Brussels closed and boarded up their windows.
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