Vilvoorde (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Four police officers were injured after being surrounded and pelted with stones during violent riots at Vilvoorde station, authorities reported on Friday.
A number of people and the police got into a fight.
“They were after one thing: a confrontation with the officers,”
said Mayor Jo De Ro (Open VLD-CD&V), Belgium.
The riots broke out around 1 a.m.
“The individuals destroyed several bus shelters and also smashed a window in a nearby building,”
said Mayor De Ro.
“The rioters also damaged police vehicles.”
The neighborhood information network, or BIN, sent out a warning to the local population to stay inside.
“It’s clear that this action was directed against the police,”
said Mayor De Ro.
“That’s regrettable, and I strongly condemn it. Any form of violence is unacceptable, especially against security services like the police. The perpetrators must be severely punished.”
Ingrid Moriau of the Halle-Vilvoorde public prosecutor’s office confirms that the action was directed against the police.
“Several police teams responded to the scene,”
she says.
“Upon arrival, they were surrounded and pelted with heavy cobblestones.”
“The suspects then scattered across several streets,”
Moriau said.
“Police gave chase and arrested nine suspects.”
Five of the arrested suspects are adults, but there are also four minors.
“One is a 16-year-old and three are 17-year-olds,”
Moriau said.
The Brussels public prosecutor’s office has been given custody of two of the youngsters, who reside in Brussels. The Halle-Vilvoorde public prosecutor’s office will bring the five adults before the investigating judge, and the other two juveniles before the juvenile court judge.
The cause of the riots remains unknown.
“The ViMa police zone (Vilvoorde-Machelen) and the city of Vilvoorde have been more committed than ever to a safe station area in recent months,”
says De Ro.
“This is clearly a thorn in the side of people who consider the station area their domain.”
For a number of weeks, there has been turmoil in Vilvoorde’s center. For a while, a moped rider has been causing trouble with their careless driving. Police pursued a person Thursday night, resulting in a conflict. As he drove off, the moped rider struck a police van. Whether the two occurrences are connected is still unclear.
The mayor declared that everyone who has been harmed by the rioting will have a quicker way to report it to the police.
Increased surveillance will be in place near the station tonight.
“I want to thank the Vilvoorde police, neighboring police forces, and the federal police for their efforts last night,”
the mayor added.
“I wish the four injured officers a speedy recovery.”
How might this incident affect community-police relations in Vilvoorde?
Such confrontations can deepen mistrust between residents and law enforcement, especially if community members perceive the police response as heavy-handed or if underlying grievances remain unaddressed. The mayor’s statement that rioters “were after one thing: a confrontation with officers” suggests a deliberate escalation, which may heighten fear and animosity on both sides.
Incidents involving violence against officers can polarize opinions within the community—some may sympathize with police, while others could see the events as evidence of systemic issues, potentially reducing the perceived legitimacy and authority of the police.
The situation also underscores the need for proactive community engagement, transparency, and dialogue to rebuild trust.
