“It was really crazy,” said Brussels Fire Department Spokesperson Walter Derieuw in an interview with POLITICO, describing chaotic scenes on New Year’s Eve. “We were there to help, and we were getting Molotov cocktails thrown at us.”
Despite a citywide ban on fireworks, which went into effect ahead of the festivities, the sky over Brussels lit up with crackling pyrotechnics at midnight. Flares and firecrackers continued to go off in the early hours of Wednesday in the city center. In one alarming incident in Ixelles, a motorcyclist reportedly hurled a firework at pedestrians.
Authorities had put extensive measures in place to curb New Year’s Eve disturbances. These included the unification of Brussels’ six police zones under a central command, deployment of additional officers, and a controversial curfew for those under 16 in Anderlecht. However, these precautions failed to prevent the mayhem.
The unrest extended beyond Brussels. In Antwerp, Belgium’s second-largest city, riots erupted and fires broke out. Police there reported 49 arrests, illustrating the scale of the disruptions.
Unrest during New Year’s Eve has become a troubling tradition in Belgium. Similar scenes were witnessed in recent years, with over 200 arrests in Brussels in 2023 and 160 arrests in 2022, highlighting the persistence of this issue.
“Unfortunately, it’s becoming a common thing,” Derieuw lamented.
The Brussels police department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the incidents.













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