Brussels mayor Close demands tough action in Marollenwi …

“There is nothing to justify damaging the open spaces of public facilities or attacking firefighters,” said Philippe Close.

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The city of Brussels is filing a complaint and will also take civil action for the damage to a crèche after the incidents in the Marolles district. Vandals had caused damage there the previous evenings. For example, the window of a day care center was destroyed. Mayor Philippe Close (PS) wants tough action against the perpetrators, but does not want local residents to suffer as a result.

Two nights in a row it was restless in the Brussels Marolles district. In the night from Friday to Saturday, two adults were administratively detained for a short time because they were kicking ass. Subsequently, two minors were arrested for vandalizing four police cars. On Saturday evening, the fire brigade was pelted with Molotov cocktails after the fire brigade had to come to the scene because vandals had set fire to trash cans and a van.

The damage was limited to a broken window at a day-care center. But according to Mayor Close, “nothing justifies damaging public facilities, such as a crèche or attacking firefighters.”

Close does not intend to ban meetings, as the mayor of Molenbeek did earlier, but he does want a strong response to the vandalism. “We don’t want to stigmatize or punish the majority of the population in the neighborhood,” said Close. “It is a minority who cause incidents. They must be dealt with severely. Nine times out of ten we find them and I hope that the court will deal with them with determination, ‘it sounds on Sunday.

N-VA and CD&V also want to conduct the discussion at the level of the Brussels Region. N-VA Member of Parliament Mathias Vanden Borre argues for violence against emergency services to be an absolute priority in the new regional security plan. Bianca Debaets (CD&V), on the other hand, asks that the Internal Affairs committee of the Brussels parliament be convened urgently.

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