Police used watercannon and tear gas to disperse around 200 demonstrators that had gathered outside the Israeli embassy in the Brussels municipality of Ukkel on Tuesday evening. The demonstration had started off peacefully, but things turned violent towards the end.
Police use watercannon to disperse pro-Palestinian demonstrators outside the Israeli embassy
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The demonstration got under way at around 6pm. At around 7.15pm the demonstrators headed for the Ter Kameren Woods where the police were waiting for them with watercannon. Several of the demonstrators blocked the road and tried to start a fire. Some demonstrators threw branches at the police. The demonstrators attempted to break through the police lines and the police responded with tear gas.
The situation degenerated rapidly and watercannon and more tear gas were used in an effort to disperse the protesters. By 7.45pm police had succeeded in driving the demonstrators into the woods.
"Unauthorised demonstration"
One of the demonstrators that wishes to remain anonymous told the press agency Belga that "Belgium is flagrantly violating international law. It is ignoring the rulings of the International Court of Justice, glorifies “beeper” attacks that killed children,... Only on Sunday, a Palestinian protester was beaten unconscious in the centre of Brussels during a rally. He is now accused of rebellion”.
The Mayor of Ukkel Boris Dilliès (Francophone liberal) told journalists that the demonstration was unauthorised. Mr Dilliès added that the demonstrators had thrown projectiles at the police. “It was then that I authorised the police to use tear gas and watercannon to disperse the demonstrators”. The Mayor of Ukkel also said that the troublemakers were vandals and “’not real protesters”.