Dozens detained during Sunday's march against the coronavirus measures
88 people were taken into preventative administrative detention and further 9 others apprehended on suspicion of criminal acts before, during and after Sunday’s demonstration in Brussels against the coronavirus restrictions. The 9 people detained are suspected of having thrown missiles at the police. Those that were taken into preventative administrative detention on Sunday were detained as they were disturbing public order.
Around 5,000 people took part in the demonstration that in the main passed peacefully. On Sunday evening, the Brussels-Capital-Elsene Local Police Service said that 30 people had been taken into preventative administrative custody. However, in a statement released on Monday morning the police said that this figure had risen to 88. Furthermore, 9 people had been detained on suspicion of criminal acts after a small number of demonstrators had pelted police with missiles at the end of the demonstration.
Those taken into preventative administrative detention were detained for refusing to leave at the end of the demonstration or because they had committed breaches of the peace. All 88 have since been released. 11 of them were detained before the demonstration because they had been found to be in posession of fireworks and inflammable materials.
The 9 people that were detained on suspicion of having committed criminal acts were detained on suspicion of having thrown missiles at the police, armed rebellion and damaging public property. The investigation is still ongoing with the aim of handing the evidence to the Judicial Authorities whose job it would be to prepare a prosecution.