Pro-Palestinian protesters file complaint over police violence at Brussels demonstration
Six pro-Palestinian demonstrators took the Brussels police to court on Thursday over the actions of the police on 2 October last year, during a spontaneous demonstration in the capital against the interception of the humanitarian flotilla, the Global Sumud Flotilla, bound for Gaza. Among them is a journalist.
During the demonstration in question, more than a thousand participants marched from the ministry of Foreign Affairs to Place du Luxembourg in Brussels. A protest also took place simultaneously at the Bourse. Later that evening, a group at the Bourse sought to join the demonstrators at Place du Luxembourg, but they were intercepted by the police near Place des Martyrs. The police eventually intervened at Place du Luxembourg as well.
According to the lawyers representing the complainants, the police struck the demonstrators on the head with batons on several occasions. According to lawyer Selma Benkhelifa, this contravenes police regulations. The demonstrators gathered footage of the violence. The police are also alleged to have used an “illegal tactic” to surround the demonstrators. “Furthermore, the officers involved were not wearing visible identification, and several of them had their faces covered,” stated Benkhelifa.
During the intervention, the police also used tear gas and a water cannon. The lawyer criticised the fact that some protesters were left injured, “while several of them had to be taken to emergency departments”.
Finally, journalists “who were not taking part in the protest” were also reportedly attacked. It is not clear in all cases which journalists were involved or whether they were in possession of an official press card.
One of the complainants is certainly a journalist. She is freelance journalist Erika Di Benedetto. Di Benedetto testifies that she was physically assaulted during the protest in Brussels. An officer is alleged to have pushed her to the ground during the intervention she was filming. Despite having shown her press card, an officer is also alleged to have struck her on the hip with a baton later on.
The six complainants have filed a complaint against the Brussels-Capital/Ixelles police zone and against persons unknown, “as the identity of the officers involved is unknown to us”, declared Benkhelifa.
Illustration © BELGA PHOTO TIMON RAMBOER
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