Brussels police protest lack of armed protection

Brussels police are protesting today in front of the police station in Rue des Palais. The action comes after it was announced that the officers would have to perform traffic duties from 1 September without the accompaniment of an armed colleague.

Since the attacks on Charlie Hebdo in Paris and the foiled attacks on police stations by jihadi fighters returning from Syria in recent months, the threat level for police forces in the capital remains at level three. The Brussels police, who are not allowed to carry weapons, should therefore be paired with an armed inspector, according to the protestors.

The corps management last week announced that the police officers would regulate traffic in teams of two and unarmed, causing unrest among the officers and protest from the unions. The corps leadership then announced that the teams would be mixed in most cases, with one police officer and one armed inspector, and that there would always be a rapid intervention team available.

A statement from the corps management, however, says that the "agents will only be accompanied by an inspector as far as the operational capacity permits."

According to the unions, there is not enough staff to ensure mixed teams.