Union calls for investigation into Brussels police violence

Civil service trade union CGSP is calling for a federal investigation into what it has described as excessive violence against peaceful demonstrators by Brussels police.

CGSP condemned "the use of the police to violently suppress social movements and peaceful demonstrations" in a statement made in response to a number of incidents during demonstrations over the past two months and the violent eviction of a squat.

“Our union condemns all violence against the police, but also the excessive use of force by the police,” the statement begins.

CGSP references police violence at the demonstrations on 2 October for Palestine, 14 October against the measures of the new federal government and "during the eviction of 70 undocumented migrants, including 15 children, on 17 October, World Day Against Poverty".

According to CGSP, police exceeded their authority on each occasion.

“Police officers beat people on the head with extendable batons until they bleed, which is a flagrant violation of the rules of intervention, and women and children are beaten on the back,” the union said.

“The police are also still using the ‘chain tactic’: an encirclement that turns a civil gathering into a trap for demonstrators, [even though] the Brussels-Capital/Ixelles police zone and mayor Philippe Close (PS) were convicted in March by the Brussels Criminal Court for using this tactic.”

The union also condemned the excessive use of tear gas "as a weapon".

“The irritating gas clouds no longer serve to disperse demonstrators, but to punish them by suffocating and blinding them. Tear gas is used as a weapon in enclosed spaces and on people who have already been arrested,” the union said, accusing police of treating peaceful demonstrators as enemies, not citizens.

CGSP also said that demonstrators were also subjected to all kinds of insults from police officers.

“This shows an institutionalised contempt for any form of protest,” the union argues.

“We demand that members of parliament look into this matter and set up an investigative committee to examine the behaviour of certain officers who are tarnishing the reputation of the entire force. One of the tasks of parliament is to exercise democratic control over the executive.”

The CGSP police department had already condemned the behaviour of some officers during the national demonstration and the eviction in Anderlecht, angering other police unions.

But CGSP does not stand alone. After the eviction on 17 October, the squatters' collective Zone Neutre also stated that the police had used “excessive force” against demonstrators who wanted to prevent the eviction.

The Brussels-Capital/Ixelles police zone told Bruzz that it had “taken note” of the union's statement.

“We are aware of the images circulating on social media,” a police spokesperson said, referring to images that show police officers wielding batons and using tear gas on protestors.

“These often show only part of an intervention and can therefore be taken out of context. If complaints are received, they will be taken seriously, as always, and an internal investigation may be launched.”

The Brussels-Capital/Ixelles police zone also asserted that “the intervention in Pacheco (in front of the Immigration Office) took place after considerable damage had been caused to the Immigration Office, with the aim of arresting recalcitrant individuals who had attempted to flee before the intervention and after committing this damage.”

The Brussels-Midi police zone said it was aware of the social sensitivity surrounding the use of force and takes every report or complaint about it seriously.

“It is important to emphasise that police actions must always take place within the legal framework, with respect for the proportionality and necessity of the coercion used,” a spokesperson for the zone said.

Brussels mayor Philippe Close (PS) said images of police violence are currently being analysed.

“Each demonstration is analysed and followed by a debriefing in order to improve processes and avoid any incidents, because the primary role of the police is to intervene and to de-escalate,” Close said, adding that he was working with the chief of police “to ensure that our police force is exemplary”.

Police watchdog P Committee has officially recorded several complaints of police violence. Some 20 of these relate to the demonstration on 2 October, 34 relate to the national demonstration on 14 October, and one complaint has been recorded for the events that took place during the police operation to evict undocumented migrants from a building in Anderlecht.