The federal and local police of Brussels and Ixelles last weekend called for the ban on motorized vehicle demonstrations in the capital, which will come into effect at midnight and will be enforced at least until 08.00 a.m. Tuesday. Convoys were also prohibited in Ghent until Sunday 20 February. The police are cooperating with the Public Prosecution Service. Agreements were made about the monitoring and prosecution of possible crimes. Potential offenders were immediately summoned and, in the case of the most serious offences, brought before the investigating judge, who could decide to issue arrest warrants.
demonstration
Vehicles became only tolerated at the Heysel parking, the site of Brussels Expo. The “freedom convoy” has announced its intention to demonstrate on Monday in the center of Brussels. No license application has been formally submitted to the local authorities. The convoy was therefore not authorized. The Prime Minister of the Brussels-Capital Region Rudi Vervoort and the Mayor of Brussels Philippe Close have also banned demonstrations with motorized vehicles.
The federal police monitor traffic towards Brussels. She will initially contact the drivers to explain to them by means of a flyer what is and is not authorized. They may be accompanied by the police. Only then will the police consider the possibility of taking more repressive measures, including by means of checks. This happens, for example, when groups of motorists organize blockades on the highway or head towards the center.
Some of the self-proclaimed "freedom convoys", which had stopped around Paris on Saturday, set out on Sunday morning for Brussels, where their demonstration scheduled for Monday has been banned, but police remained mobilized to prevent them from blocking the capital.
heavy punishments
In addition to possibly towing vehicles away, malicious obstruction of traffic could be punished with a prison sentence of up to 10 years, or even more if the facts lead to incapacity for work. Acts of rebellion against the police carry a prison term of up to 6 months, up to 10 years in aggravating circumstances. Striking a police officer increases the maximum penalty to one year in prison, which is accompanied by a fine of 2.400 euros. The prison sentence can be up to 15 years in aggravating circumstances, such as premeditation.
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