In a statement made in the aftermath of Sunday’s attack at Bondi Beach in the Australian city of Sydney, Belgium’s National Crisis Centre says that it is monitoring the situation closely and “we remain extra alert. The attack on people participating in an event to mark the first day of the Jewish feast of Hanukkah left 15 participants on 1 attacker dead after 2 men fired indiscriminately into the crowd.
National Crisis Centre and Brussels police remain vigilant following Bondi Beach attack
Published:
In Antwerp on Sunday, they was a large police presence as members of the city’s Jewish community celebrated the first day of Hanukkah that was also attended by the city’s Mayor Els Van Doesberg and the Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever (both Flemish nationalist).
The National Crisis Centre’s spokeswoman Pauline Remience told journalists that events such as those in Sydney on Sunday warrant “particular attention”, but they don’t lead to any fundamental revision of levels of vigilance here. "It is part of a series of events that demand greater attention than on a normal day.
The Brusselse Local Police says that it has not taken any additional measures on top of those already in place during Jewish feasts.
Ilse Van de keere of the Brussels-Capital-Elsene Local Police Service told the Brussels regional news platform Bruzz that " The police are monitoring the situation closely and as is customary during Jewish feasts, are maintaining heightened vigilance and conducting additional patrols”. For security reasons, Ms Van de keere did not disclose any further details.