82 people detained after Friday’s rioting during the Brussels Hi-Viz demonstration
The Brussels-Capital-Elsene Local Police Service reports that 82 people were detained after Friday’s demonstration by Hi-Viz protesters turned nasty. 6 of those detained by police have since been detained by the Judicial Authorities. The Police Service is currently examining photographic and video evidence in an effort to try and identify more of those that were involved in Friday’s trouble.
Police were pelted with paving stones and police vehicles were set alight as what had started as a peaceful demonstration against rising living costs and falling purchasing degenerated into violence. Trouble makers also damaged private property and one shop was looted.
As late as the evening demonstrators were still blockading some Brussels streets.
Speaking on Saturday, Ilse Van de keere of the Brussels-Capital-Elsene Local Police Service told VRT News that 82 protesters were detained by police, 76 of these were taken into preventative custody before later being released, and the other 6 have been detained by the Judicial Authorities and are now suspects in criminal investigations. They are suspected of the possession of banned weapons, the possession of drugs, arson and damaging vehicles. Two of them have been officially charged.
Meanwhile, the police have issued an appeal for photographs and video images of Friday’s incidents. These can be sent by email to zpz.polbru.info@police.belgium.eu.
Ms Van de keere added that "As with the riots in November 2017 we are once again going to set up a task force to identify suspects using the images we have at our disposal”.