Charleroi - Rellen en brandstichtingen na dode tijdens arrestatie

GILLY - Last week, on Friday, Sandro (27 years old), died after having been beating during an arrest. An autopsy said he died of a heart attack and discovered traces of cocaine in his blood (which the media are using to present him as a "drug addict" or even a "dealer"). Photos came out of his body, which was covered with hits and injuries. Also people of the neigboorhoud who assisted during the arrest (which took place in the middle of the street, cops thinking he stole a Coca cola in a shop), denounced the very violent behaviour of the cops. Almost all of the small city of Gilly, just next to Charleroi, blame the police.

Tension started to rise very fast in the city and in Charleroi.

Seven days later, on Friday 1 april, the media speak for the first time about the rage exploding. The local police station is attacked in the early evening with molotov cocktails, although not the whole station was burned down. Earlier that day, masked youngsters threw stones to passing cop cars and attacked several private cars of cops, stationed in front of police stations or their homes.

Saturday 2 april during the night, tens of masked younsters fought for several hours with the police, who sent several battallions of the Federal Police down to Gilly and used a water cannon. Clashes also erupted in the other neighboorhoud next to Gilly, Lodinsart. They started of with attacking the two cops stations with stones and metal bars. When police reinforcements arrived, the rioters startet to pick their fights, throwing stones to the cops and than disapearing. Several cops got injured, some cars were put on fire on parking lots of supermarkets and quite some damages to shop windows etc. Some rioters got arrested, and police claims some of them came specially from Brussels to cause trouble and incite the local youth. Everybody was released next day.
The same night, several vehicles were put on fire in Bertrix and Liège.

Sunday 3 april during the night, fire was put to garbage bins all over Gilly and one car was burned on the parking lot of the supermarket. Several shops and official buildings (like the socialist syndicate) were attacked with stones and other objects. Police claims they moved again around in small groups, which made it difficult to catch any of them. Some youngsters were arrested but released a few hours later.

Monday 4 april during the night, starting from 23h to 4h, cars were put on fire all over Gilly and Lodinsart. Some torches of anger were also noted in the city of Charleroi. In Gilly, police speaks about 7 cars and a bulldozer which have been torched. No arrests were made.

More to come.

1,2,3,4 april 2011

Vottem - Betogers dringen binnen in gesloten centrum

Annual demo at Vottem [Liege] against closed detention centres 03/04/11: several hundred demonstrators marched from place Léonard to the centre. Arrived at the centre, 50 of the demonstrators climbed on the fences and entered the centre. Very quickly the Samba, who had entered with them, gave their drums from inside. After a few minutes, the two 5m high doors opened and the demonstrators found themselves in the "recreation" yard of the detainees.
A helicopter arrived and hovered 15m above the intruders.
Outside, the planned concert continued unperturbed, despite the Samba, the cries of encouragement of the demonstrators, the noise of the helicopter, the firecrackers...
The police arrived after an hour and arrested all the intruders (49 people). At this moment, the detainees threw projectiles at the robocops.
In the evening, after a long time, demonstrators have been all progressively freed. One girl has been taken to the hospital. An undocumented person who participated in the action has been transferred to the closed center... of Vottem !
In the evening, we received an sms from a prisonner in Vottem : "Thanks a lot for the demo in Vottem, thanks again ! ", he told us that they tried to protest from the inside but that the police forced them to stop.

5/4/2011
MEer info op bxl.indymedia.org

Brussel - Agent gewond bij schermutseling in Molenbeek

BRUSSELS - A police officer got injured in Molenbeek during a small riot. The riot was sparked of by a police patrol who arrested a bicycle driver because he "was driving dangerously on one wheel". Rioters gathered around the police, who called for reinforcements. Then the rioters attacked them with stones and wooden sticks, hurting the cops and smashing at least one of their cars.
In the end, reinforcements managed to disperse the rioters by using big amounts of pepperspray.

27/3/2011
www.dhnet.be

Brussel - Molotovcocktails om seksueel misbruik te wreken

BERCHEM-SAINTE-AGATHE - Three youngsters were arrested, one with heavy burn injuries, and arrested of having thrown two molotov cocktails to two crs, a Clio and a Mercedes Classe C, belonging to a bureaucrat of the Brussels Administration and which were destroyed. This guy was accused by the family of two of the three arrested to have sexually abused for a long period their children, who didn't speak out for a long time. In the end, the justice department said there was not enough material to start a court case and classified the file.
Now, while the three youngsters remain in prison, also other youngsters are speaking out about the fact they have been abused by the same guy.

4/4/2011
http://www.dhnet.be/dhjournal/archives_det.phtml?id=1138634

Esneux - Voertuigen van de Post doelwit van vandalen

ESNEUX - "Youngsters took the habit to come and vandalise our cars during the weekend," denounces the manager of the Post Office. They slash tyres, break the windows, rip of the mirrors etc. The vandalism paralyses the distribution of post in the region. The Post declared they denounced everytime vandalism was perpetrated to the cops, but that they don't manage to stop it.

[Note of the editor: Let's stress another time that the Bank of the Post manages the bank accounts of the prisons and the closed centres in Belgium]

31/3/2011
http://archives.sudpresse.be/

Charleroi - Ontsnapt uit het Justitiepaleis

CHARLEROI - A prisoner tried to escape from the tribunal but was caught when he quitted the building. A few days later, another person succeeded in escaping through the front entrance of the courtyard because police forgot to lock his cell door.

25/3/2011
http://archives.sudpresse.be/

Leuven - Brandje in school

LEUVEN - Vandalen stichtten het voorbije weekend brand in een lagere school in de Albert Woutersstraat in Wilsele. Ze plaatsten enkele rollen toiletpapier onder de rookmelder op de eerste verdieping en staken die in brand. Het was een buurtbewoner die opschrikte van het alarm en over de omheining klom om het vuur te blussen. Ook de brandweer van Leuven kwam ter plaatse. De schade bleef beperkt. Op de plaats van de brand liepen alleen de vloer en de muur lichte schade op door de vlammen. Het gerechtelijk lab nam een bus olie in beslag.

4/4/2011
http://www.nieuwsblad.be/article/detail.aspx?articleid=CV38DTSM

Kessel-Lo - "Integreren is mezelf elimineren"

Een vandaal bekladde woensdagnacht de gevel van het gloednieuwe gebouw van het Integratiecentrum in de Diestsesteenweg in Kessel-Lo (Leuven). De onbekende spoot de tekst ‘Integreren is mezelf elimineren' en ‘Opstand overal' op de nieuwe glazen panelen van het gebouw.
‘We weten niet wie er achter de feiten zit en wat de onbekende met de teksten wil zeggen', zegt een personeelslid van de Integratiedienst. Het is de tweede keer in een week dat de dienst af te rekenen krijgt met vandalen. ‘Vorige week plakte iemand papieren met gelijkluidende boodschappen op het glas. Toen hebben we met het team de schade kunnen herstellen', vertelt de vrouw. De politie voert een onderzoek.

10/3/2011
www.standaard.Be