Brussels –
Another illegal mass meeting in a Brussels city park has escalated. Despite the official ban, 1000 to 2000 people gathered in the popular Bois de la Cambre park in the capital on Saturday afternoon, according to the Belgian news agency Belga. The police were pelted with bottles and firecrackers, among other things. At the end of the day, the forces had arrested 132 people, as Belga reported, citing a police spokeswoman.
The “La Boum 2” event was announced on Facebook but was banned by the authorities. Prime Minister Alexander De Croo had also called for people not to take part. Already at the beginning of April there had been violent arguments at “La Boom”. Even then, thousands of people met after a call on the Internet and celebrated in disregard of the Corona rules. The police broke up the event.
Partiers and hooligans
On Saturday afternoon, hundreds again came to the park. As a local reporter reported, there were many young people among them who celebrated, but also critics of the corona measures and opponents of vaccinations. Belgian media also reported about football hooligans.
The police, in turn, were there with 600 to 700 emergency services. They began eviction in the late afternoon. Several water cannons and police horses were used. The police also used tear gas to drive people out of the park. A helicopter circled over the area. The police called in the visitors by drone to comply with the corona rules. However, the mask requirement and distance requirement were largely ignored.
At a certain point, the mood was tense, said a police spokeswoman, according to Belgian media. The police had been pelted with stones and bottles, among other things. When the participants started attacking each other, it was decided to begin evacuating the park.
According to media reports, 15 participants and around 10 police officers were injured. Three policemen were taken to the hospital. Around 9 p.m. it was largely quiet in the park again. However, the police kept a hard core busy until late at night. (dpa)
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