Right-wing protest at shrine to Brussels victims
Police used water cannon when scuffles broke out in front of the Bourse, which has become a symbolic rallying point for people to pay their respects to those who died in Tuesday’s attacks. Black-clad men carrying an anti-Islamic State group banner with an expletive on it trampled parts of the shrine, shouting Nazi slogans.
Ten were arrested and two police officers injured.
“We had 340 hooligans from different football clubs who came to Brussels and we knew for sure that they would create some trouble,” said police commissioner Christian De Coninck. “It was a very difficult police operation because lots of families with kids were here.”
Brussels mayor Yvan Mayeur expressed his disgust, with Belgium still in mourning over the suicide bombings at Brussels airport and subway, which killed at least 31 people and injured some 270.
“The police were not deployed to protect people from these hooligans but a whole other threat,” Mr Mayeur told RTL television.
People trying to pay their respects were also dismayed.
“It was important for us to be here symbolically,” said Samia Orosemane, 35. But, “there were lots of men who were here and doing the Nazi salute, shouting ‘death to Arabs’ and so we weren’t able to get through.”
“We are all here today for peace, and for the brotherhood among peoples. Not for right-wing ideas. It’s neither the time nor the place,” said Theophile Mouange, 52.
Tuesday’s attacks are also tearing at the fabric of the government, justice system and police, and Belgium’s interior minister yesterday sought to contain growing criticism of government handling of the tragedy.
Interior minister Jan Jambon conceded yesterday that decades of neglect had hampered the government’s response to violent extremism. He said it has invested €600m into police and security services in the past two years but that Belgium’s justice system and security services are lagging behind.
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