Harelbeke (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Around 5 a.m., on June 16, 2025, vandals attacked the BNP Paribas Fortis office on Gentsestraat, Harelbeke, spray-painting pro-Palestine slogans and breaking windows. Activists demand the bank cut ties with Israeli arms firms. Spokesperson: Jeroen Petrus.
According to a report by VRT news, this morning, June 16, 2025, around 5 a.m., a police patrol found that a bank office on Gentsestraat, Harelbeke, West Flanders, Belgium, had been attacked 3rd time. The front of the building was vandalized with spray-painted slogans, protesting against the war in Palestine.
The officials said these slogans, evidently political, covered part of the front wall, were a splash of would be noticed immediately because of their incendiary rhetoric, and also several windows of the building had been smashed. The police quickly secured the area and began an investigation.
Why was the Harelbeke BNP Fortis branch vandalised again?
A group of anonymous ‘activists’ has taken credit for the vandalism at the bank, BNP Paribas Fortis in Harelbeke. The group is demanding that the bank stop all financing and lending to Israeli arms companies immediately due to their alleged role in the current conflict in the Middle East.
The group portrays the vandalism as a protest against organized crime. While the group does not identify its memberships, the tone and nature of the release indicates some organization. At the very least, the group appears to have developed a political agenda while directing its commentary toward institutions it believes are engaged in military operations within the regional context.
BNP Paribas Fortis says it doesn’t fund arms or have ties to the Middle East conflict. The bank strongly disagrees with the vandalism and said they care about their employees’ and customers’ safety.
Spokesperson Jeroen Petrus said they reported the crime to the police. The Harelbeke branch will be closed today for cleaning and safety reasons. Authorities will be investigating the incident and seeking those responsible. The vandalism is a continuation of political acts which are happening throughout the country about the Palestinian situation.
This isn’t the first time the office has been targeted. In 2024, the same building was spray-painted with protest messages twice. Those times, it was just graffiti, with no damage. The broken windows show an increase in the attacks, making people worry about more aggression.
