Police in Brussels says that the situation in the capital on New Years Eve was “manageable”. However, by midnight 63 people had been arrest, most of whom in the Brussels North (Schaarbeek/Evere/Sint-Joost-ten-Node) and Brussels West (Molenbeek/Koekelberg/Jette/Ganshoren/Sint-Agatha-Berchem) local police service areas. Rail security staff and emergency service personnel were pelted with fireworks and 2 rail security were injured at Brussels North Station.
New Year’s Eve disturbances in Brussels: 2 police officers injured, rail security and emergency service staff attacked
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The capital’s police that were under a unified command structure for the duration of the New Year’s Eve celebrations says that it was a “busy, but manageable” night. Nevertheless, “During the New Year’s night police and emergency services in Brussels were confronted with several serious incidents”.
In a press statement released on Thursday morning the police went onto to say that “Molotov cocktails and other pyrotechnical material were found at several locations. Police, emergency service personel and staff from the public transport company MIVB had fireworks fired at them on several occasions”.
Damage
In addition to this, a number of buses and trams operated by the Brussels public transport company MIVB were also damaged. The police also say that they confiscated a considerable amount of fireworks during the course of Wednesday night.
Two police officers from the Brussel South (Anderlecht/Vorst/Sint-Gillis) Local Police Service were injured when a roadside vehicle check went wrong.
Despite a ban on fireworks being in force across the Brussels-Capital Region, the police say that a lot of fireworks were set off in Brussels on Wednesday night.
63 arrests before midnight
Walter Derieuw of the Brussels Fire Service says that it was a busy night for firefighters in the capital. The Fire Service was called out around 200 times, in 25 case to deal with cars that were on fire.
Several Fire Service vehicles were pelted with fireworks. However, no firefighters were injured. 1 paramedic required hospital treatment after having been punched by a patient.