New Year’s Eve in Antwerp: 58 people arrested | Antwerp
Mainly between 11 pm and 1 am, the police had a lot of work with a whole series of incidents. Electric bicycles or mopeds set on fire in several places. In many places in the city it was also much busier than expected. “A few hotheads and drunkards turned against us in various places against people,” says Wouter Bruyns. “They threw projectiles and fireworks at our people. Not only dangerous for us, but also for all other bystanders.”
There are many reports of fireworks being set off. “We first sent our mediation teams there,” says Bruyns. “However, we notice that fireworks arrows were not fired vertically but horizontally. That is life-threatening because there were also young children among the people. We had to intervene at some point.” The police eventually arrested 58 people, nine of whom were minors. In 47 cases it was an administrative arrest, but in 11 cases criminal cases are also brought to companies.