Mass of students party on academic year, but 'lintjespan... (Ghent)

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Tens of thousands of students started the academic year in Ghent on Wednesday evening with an exuberant party on Sint-Pietersplein. The square and the Overpoort were so busy that the police had to close them off. The atmosphere was somewhat clouded by panicky messages on social media.

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Simon Dekaezemaker, Bert Staes

Yesterday at 22:25—

They were scenes that we have not seen in Ghent for a year and a half. Knaldrang, that’s how you can only describe the atmosphere at the Student Kick-Off on Wednesday. Tens of thousands of students already moved to Sint-Pietersplein from noon, where the party started at 12 noon.

The elated atmosphere was set for the rest of the day. By evening, Sint-Pietersplein was filled with students who roared away their coronafrustrations with Cleymans and Van Geel. Sint-Pietersplein had to be closed due to full.

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A lot of students then went to the Overpoort, where it was already crowded in the early evening. The Ghent police were visibly present in the student neighborhood on Wednesday evening with a lot of people. The Overpoort has been startled by fights in recent weeks.

By 10.30 pm it was also so busy on the street in the Overpoort that the police had to close the street to keep the situation safe.

Overpoort closed due to large crowds. — © Het Nieuwsblad

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A rumor that half the Ghent student population circulated via social media cast a shadow over the evening. Student clubs warned their members not to wear ‘ribbons’ or to stay away from Sint-Pietersplein because ‘a gang’ would come to Ghent to fight.

A student from Ghent ended up in hospital with serious injuries ten days ago. It is not clear what exactly happened to the young man. But it is speculated that a student club ribbon, which the boy was wearing that night, played a part in the story.

The panicked rumors of a ‘knife attack against students with a ribbon’ also reached the police on Wednesday evening. Later in the evening, social media users even reported that students had been stabbed, misinformation. As of 11 p.m., there were still no reports of incidents. The police themselves tried to calm the mood via Twitter.