Turmoil engulfed the capital of an EU country on New Year's Eve
On New Year’s Eve, Brussels was engulfed in violence as rioters attacked emergency services and set cars ablaze. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Brussels experienced turmoil on New Year’s Eve as rioters launched attacks on emergency services, throwing Molotov cocktails and igniting vehicles. Local officials and media reports indicated that police made numerous arrests amidst the chaos.
Authorities confirmed that 159 arrests took place on Wednesday during the overnight disturbances, which resulted in at least 60 vehicles set on fire throughout Brussels, home to the EU Commission and NATO headquarters.
“It was really crazy,” said Walter Derieuw, spokesperson for the Brussels Fire Department, to PMG. “We were there to help, and we were getting Molotov cocktails thrown at us.”
Disorder was particularly intense in Molenbeek, a district often classified as a no-go zone, where youth gangs used Molotov cocktails against police and directed fireworks at firefighters on New Year’s Eve.
Videos circulated on social media depicted young men dressed in black vandalizing emergency service vehicles with sticks and throwing incendiary devices, alongside fireworks aimed at law enforcement.
Molenbeek and Anderlecht, notorious for high crime rates, were at the center of the unrest. Molenbeek has become infamous over the years; former Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel noted, “almost every time there is a terrorist attack, there is a link with Molenbeek,” referring to reports connecting the district to Islamist extremists behind the 2015 Charlie Hebdo shooting in Paris.
The unrest unfolded despite heightened safety measures during the celebrations, including an increased presence of police and fire services. Additionally, Anderlecht authorities imposed a nighttime curfew for minors under 16 on New Year's Eve to “protect young people.”
Brussels is ranked among the most dangerous cities in Europe, holding the 18th position in the crime index according to the Numbeo database.
Official statistics indicate that nearly 18% of Belgium’s population is foreign-born, with this figure soaring to 46% in the capital region. The country has seen a rise in immigration recently, partly due to the Ukraine conflict, with 233,000 and 194,000 new immigrants recorded in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
Authorities confirmed that 159 arrests took place on Wednesday during the overnight disturbances, which resulted in at least 60 vehicles set on fire throughout Brussels, home to the EU Commission and NATO headquarters.
“It was really crazy,” said Walter Derieuw, spokesperson for the Brussels Fire Department, to PMG. “We were there to help, and we were getting Molotov cocktails thrown at us.”
Disorder was particularly intense in Molenbeek, a district often classified as a no-go zone, where youth gangs used Molotov cocktails against police and directed fireworks at firefighters on New Year’s Eve.
Videos circulated on social media depicted young men dressed in black vandalizing emergency service vehicles with sticks and throwing incendiary devices, alongside fireworks aimed at law enforcement.
Molenbeek and Anderlecht, notorious for high crime rates, were at the center of the unrest. Molenbeek has become infamous over the years; former Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel noted, “almost every time there is a terrorist attack, there is a link with Molenbeek,” referring to reports connecting the district to Islamist extremists behind the 2015 Charlie Hebdo shooting in Paris.
The unrest unfolded despite heightened safety measures during the celebrations, including an increased presence of police and fire services. Additionally, Anderlecht authorities imposed a nighttime curfew for minors under 16 on New Year's Eve to “protect young people.”
Brussels is ranked among the most dangerous cities in Europe, holding the 18th position in the crime index according to the Numbeo database.
Official statistics indicate that nearly 18% of Belgium’s population is foreign-born, with this figure soaring to 46% in the capital region. The country has seen a rise in immigration recently, partly due to the Ukraine conflict, with 233,000 and 194,000 new immigrants recorded in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
