Tension remains high between members of the Turkish community and Kurds in the Limburg municipality of Heusden-Zolder. On Monday evening a German-registered car was brought to a halt and its driver dragged out of the vehicle and assaulted by several people. The police reacted swiftly and were able to prevent the situation from escalating further.
The daily ‘Het Belang van Limburg’ reports that the incident happened on the Koolmijnlaan in Heusden-Zolder. Images of the incident (see video above) have been published on social media. They show the driver of a German-registered vehicle provoking passers-by by giving a hand signal that is associated with the Kurdish armed separatist group PKK. The driver of the vehicle was also driving in the wrong direction along a cycle lane.
The car was eventually brought to a halt. The police say that the driver of the vehicle was then dragged out of his car and then physically assault by a large group of people.
A crowd gathered quickly at the scene of the incident. However, the police response was also swift and a further escalation was averted.
The Mayor of Heusden-Zolder Mario Borremans (local list) told VRT News that the driver of the car has been detained. "He is in custody and will be prosecuted for inciting hatred”.