In November last year, the future asylum center in Bilzen was set on fire. Place for 140 asylum seekers, resulting in a real protest action. But on the night of November 11, strangers broke into the building, scattered fire accelerators, and set the building ablaze.
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The research ran at full speed for months, without results. And the police even made an appeal in the VTM program Faroek. In vain, until last month Emmanuel M. came into the crosshairs. The man – who was also chairman of the extreme right Outpost – stood out during the demonstration of the Vlaams Belang because he had stuck Nazi symbols on his truck.
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The same man now appears to be linked to the fire. “We have indications that he started the fire,” says Bruno Coppin of the public prosecutor’s office. “The investigating judge therefore arrested him for deliberate arson.” His wife was also arrested but has been released under strict conditions.
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‘Wer plündert, wird erschossen’. In other words: whoever steals will be shot, it said on the back of Emmanuel M.’s car, in a typeface that could be found on many German propaganda posters when the Nazis ruled.
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He therefore stood out in the column of cars heading towards Heysel for an action by Vlaams Belang against the Vivaldi government. A Twitter photo later followed widespread indignation, but M. was not aware of any harm. “Well, that’s all being whipped up now,” he responded when we asked him. “I know how that works and I don’t really want to say much about it.”
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He smiles friendly from behind the gate at his house, regularly looking away. “Whether I was there on Sunday, in Brussels? Ah yes, of course. But is it necessary to write something about it? Because then that game will continue, and that is not the intention ”, said M.
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