Zaventem (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – In Zaventem, police fined 16 people for fireworks on New Year’s Eve. Chief Eveline Van Outryve said incidents were fewer, calmer, and fireworks were seized for destruction to ensure safety.
As VRT News reported, in Zaventem, in the province of Flemish Brabant, Belgium, police fined 16 people for setting off fireworks during New Year’s Eve. Police chief Eveline Van Outryve said the number of interventions was much lower than in previous years.
What measures did Zaventem police take to control fireworks on New Year’s Eve?
The fireworks ended earlier in the morning than in past years. Police in Zaventem stayed alert throughout New Year’s Eve despite calmer celebrations. 16 people received administrative fines under the GAS system.
Officers also seized a range of fireworks to prevent further incidents. The confiscated fireworks included traditional fireworks, firework fountains, multi-shot batteries, and small explosive devices. All seized items were removed and will be destroyed.
In Belgium, on December 31st, 2023, there have been several similar incidents. The local police were unable to quickly contain a crowd that had taken to the streets of Zaventem, causing serious issues for the police by setting off illegal firework displays and throwing Molotov cocktails at the police in the process, as well as not being able to take control of the situation, as streets were closed due to safety concerns.
Fines were issued to individuals who had possession of illegal fireworks, and a large number of illegal fireworks (including rockets, firework batteries and firecrackers) were collected from stores for destruction. Authorities in other cities (e.g. Brussels, Antwerp) had arrested hundreds of people and seized large quantities of illegal fireworks during the same time period.
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