Rue Neuve shops board up windows to avoid looting

Several shops on Rue Neuve are barricading their shop windows following the looting that took place during recent protests in Brussels, and shopkeepers are calling for an increased police presence.

The boards were visible this week on the fronts of certain shops on Rue Neuve, such as Nike, Footkorner and JD Sports. 

The Nike shop had already been targeted last Saturday by “two young people” who smashed the shop window with a concrete block, said the shop manager, Mouna Hichou.

“The youths came in, followed by around 30 people,” Hichou told RTL. 

“They took about 60 items. In a way, we’re relieved that they weren’t able to clear out the whole shop, as we’ve seen happen in France.” 

New calls for demonstrations are reportedly circulating, and Hichou fears that the looters may return and believes police should step up their presence on the streets. 

“I didn’t see many police officers here during the demonstration on Saturday,” said Hichou. “They’re undoubtedly doing what they can, but it’s not enough.”

Georgiana Cazan, a clerk at the Yves Rocher beauty shop, echoed these concerns. 

“The police are present, but not when they’re needed,” Cazan said, recalling that during the national protest, young people tried unsuccessfully to break into the shop.

“The police arrived a little too late, but were ultimately able to intervene just in time. They were still busy further down Rue Neuve.”

Another manager on the street said that they would leave the wooden boards up "even if we have to for months".

Brussels’ trade alderman Didier Wauters (Les Engagés) already expressed concern about calls on social media for a new demonstration this Saturday, warning that a further escalation risks leading to more damage and looting. 

“The right to protest is a fundamental right,” Wauters said. 

“But under no circumstances can this be interpreted as the right to vandalise public spaces, or to threaten people’s physical safety or damage business premises.”