Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Stop Rodeo Atomium fights street racing near Brussels’ Heizelvlakte. Over 200 complaints since May 1, 2025. A survey shows 1,000+ families affected. Jean urges lasting traffic control, police presence.
As VRT News reported, for years, the people of Heizelvlakte in Brussels have had a big problem with street racing, often called “street rodeos.” These illegal races involve dangerous driving, loud engines, and stunts on public roads. This creates a lot of noise and disruption, especially at night and on weekends.
To deal with this, the community started the Stop Rodeo Atomium group, which wants safer streets. They use a digital tool called the Counting Rodeo Initiative to help residents report these incidents. Since May 1, 2025, the hotline has received over 200 complaints.
What is Brussels doing to stop street racing at Heizelvlakte?
The Stop Rodeo Atomium group also did a survey to understand how big the problem is. Over 1,000 families said street racing affects them, with 80% bothered daily. Half of the people surveyed couldn’t sleep well because of the noise, and many felt unsafe in traffic because of the racers’ dangerous actions.
One in 3 people said they felt threatened and avoided certain streets. Because of this, the group wants stricter rules, like traffic changes, noise monitoring, and more police. They’re fighting for safety, peace, and respect in public areas.
To highlight the ongoing street racing problem, the Stop Rodeo Atomium group is holding another ‘pyjama protest’ this Sunday, June 15, 2025. People, including many families with kids, will meet at Clementina Square. They won’t be wearing protest clothes, but pyjamas, and they’ll bring pillows and toys.
Officials mentioned that the protest is a call for action. It reminds everyone, including leaders, that the issue is about the basic quality of life, especially for kids and those who can’t sleep well because of the racing.
At the same time, the group wants the City of Brussels to take real action. Jean, who helped start the group, says the only thing that worked was closing the Heysel Plateau at night with police help. But this only lasted three weeks in June 2021, and then it stopped.
Now, the group wants the city to do what they promised in their plans. This includes controlling traffic for a long time and having more police. The group wants a clear plan for these actions and the neighbourhood to talk regularly with the city council. People want to be heard and help find solutions to a problem that has made their lives difficult for a long time.
