Brussels / Anderlecht –
On Thursday evening there were riots in Anderlecht with young people. Police were in attendance because they anticipated trouble after a judge earlier in the day acquitted the agents involved in the death of 19-year-old Adil this spring.
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Young people have thrown Molotov cocktails and stones in the direction of the town hall in Anderlecht. This confirms the spokeswoman for the South police zone. Two cars and a scooter went up in flames.
The local and federal police were in attendance because they expected the riots after it was decided earlier in the day not to prosecute the two officers involved in the death of Adil (19).
19-year-old Adil was killed last spring when he collided head-on with a police vehicle during a chase in Anderlecht. According to the prosecution, that police vehicle was driving at a slow speed, while Adil was driving faster than allowed and was not wearing his motorcycle helmet correctly.
“Around 8.30 pm a group of 40 people gathered on the Council Square and projectiles and Molotov cocktails were thrown”, the Brussels South police said. “There were no injuries.”
–In April a police car was stolen from a wrecked combination
Video: rr
Young people had vowed revenge for tonight and for tomorrow via social media. The police were massively present on Thursday evening. A spray car and a federal police armored car stood in front of the town hall while a police helicopter circled above the amokmakers.
According to witnesses on the spot, fires were started in various places. The fire brigade received protection from the police who, among other things, were on the scene with dogs.
Since there is a curfew in Brussels from 10 pm, the security forces hoped that everyone would go home and that peace would be restored. “But the situation is highly flammable. We want to ensure that it does not derail further ”, the police said on Thursday evening.
A total of eighteen arrests had already been made in Anderlecht around 10.30 pm. The Gemeenteplein and the surrounding area have meanwhile been evacuated and, according to the police, peace is more or less returning.
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