Brussels residents boost image with online video

With the internet hit 'Nous sommes Bruxellois – Wij zijn Brusselaars' (We are from Brussels), a number of Brussels residents aim to restore the city's image after it was damaged by various international media following the increased terror threat of recent months. The video features locals talking about life in the capital, writes Brusselnieuws.

A diverse range of Brussels residents appear in the video: men and women, natives and foreigners, young and old. 'To be from Brussels is to be merry," one of them says. "But it is very difficult to define the Brussels identity," says another. "One million people means a million different identities."

The locals appearing in the video prove that they can laugh at themselves, with statements like, “The biggest statue in the city is 40 centimeters high,” in reference to the famous Manneken Pis.

Even Brussels mayor Yvan Mayeur makes an appearance, saying, “Paris is luxury. Milan is fashion. And Brussels is cordiality." The mayor adds in a press release that this video clip shows that most of the people in the city share the same fundamental values, including, in particular, “respect, curiosity and tolerance towards those who are different."

The Brussels-Capital Region is coincidentally launching a similar campaign this week. Visit.brussels has launched an image campaign to repair the damage of the past months under the name #callBrussels. Three telephones have been installed in three places in Brussels - Flagey, Molenbeek and the Mont des Arts - for people to call from abroad. Brussels citizens will then answer their questions about Brussels.