Brussels introduces nighttime closures to combat crime around North Station
The Brabant district around the North Station in Brussels is introducing a temporary ban on business activity during the early hours. From Wednesday night, cafes, night shops and brothels in the area must close between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m.
This measure, set to last for three months until 30 June, aims to reduce nuisance and crime in the neighbourhood. Local residents’ groups view it as a positive step, but stress that a broader, coordinated approach is needed to achieve lasting results.
The closures were approved last week by the municipal councils of Schaerbeek and Saint-Josse-ten-Node. In Schaerbeek, the affected Brabant Quarter includes Aarschotstraat, Brabantstraat, Liedtsplein, Paleizenstraat and Koninginneplein, surrounding the Royal Saint Mary’s Church.
In Saint-Josse, the restrictions apply to the area bounded by Rue Royale, Avenue des Kruidtuin, Place Rogier (excluding the square itself) and Street Brabant, essentially the zone just south and east of the North Station.
For years, residents and passers-by have reported high levels of nuisance and drug-related crime, creating a sense of insecurity.
Representatives of the Dupont-Post neighbourhood committee describe the area as long neglected, with safety left largely to chance. While the closures affect dozens of eateries, shops and brothels, some local business owners welcome the initiative as a long-overdue intervention. Committee members, however, caution that the nighttime ban alone is insufficient and should be part of a broader, more structured plan to improve security.
Closures in Antwerp
A similar approach has recently been applied in Antwerp, where three hospitality businesses were forced to close following violent incidents. The office of mayor Els van Doesburg stated that the manager of the three establishments had previously been the target of criminal violence, meaning that keeping them open posed a danger to public safety.
On 12 March, the man was attacked in one of his businesses by three unknown individuals using a taser and a knife, reportedly linked to an outstanding debt owed by a former employee. The office also linked the manager to other serious offences, including an explosion at a building in the Tweemontstraat and the arson of trucks at the Straatsburgdok. All three businesses will be sealed from 30 March through 29 April.
Koninginneplein in Schaarbeek © PHOTO PETER HILZ / HOLLANDSE HOOGTE
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