Brussels: Police expect continuation of race riots

The South Zone Brussels Region police says that new violent confrontations are still possible in the Brussels suburb of Anderlecht, particularly on Wednesday or Friday. They advise anyone who doesn't have to come into the area to stay away.

Anderlecht mayor Gaëtan Van Goidsenhoven says that it's rash and even dangerous to accuse the police authorities of racism during their intervention last week, since these accusations ensure a climate of distrust while there's a need for calm.

Municipality council member André Drouart was publicly questioned during the weekend about the reason why the police arrested immigrant youth almost exclusively during the incidents. Of the 194 people who were arrested, 193 were immigrant youth.

Radouane Bouhlal, chairman of MRAX (Movement against racism, antisemitism and xenophobia), accused the Anderlecht municipality of minimizing the racist character of the incidents.

The mayors that there's no issue of preferring one camp upon the other. Those who committed violence will be prosecuted based on concrete evidence. He says people might ask questions and be surprised but he chooses to wait with accusing the police, who were themselves victims of violence. He wants to take the time to analyze the context in which the interventions were done.

Source: HLN (Dutch)

See also: Brussels: Blog incites riots, Brussels: Riots

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