Brussels police used a water cannon, tear gas, and batons on Friday morning to disperse protesters wanting to prevent the planned eviction of around 70 people without documents in the municipality of Anderlecht.
The protesters were gathered at the former CGSLB/ACLVB building on Square de l'Aviation. The building had been occupied for several months by undocumented migrants of Maghrebian and sub-Saharan descent.
The Zone Neutre collective has squatted the building to provide shelter for the migrants, but the building's owner, Staring Real Estate, wants to renovate it into a hotel.
A bailiff had already decided to proceed with the eviction in August, following a court order. That attempt was thwarted, but a new attempt followed in October.
Solidarity action
The eviction of approximately 70 residents, including 15 children, was scheduled for 6am on Friday. On social media, the collective had called to prevent the eviction by holding a massive demonstration at the former union building and future hotel. Between 200 and 300 people responded to this call.
The police then decided to end the spontaneous solidarity action, using tear gas, a water cannon, and batons to disperse the protesters. "The police acted extremely violently and even deployed dogs to disperse the protesters," the Zone Neutre collective told Belga News Agency.
Around 11:00am, calm returned, although the police were unable to force entry into the building and the eviction was not yet complete.
According to Zone Neutre, however, it will not be long before the undocumented immigrants are back on the streets. Where they will go remains unclear.
A protest action by the 'Zone Neutre' collective against the eviction of the 70 ndocumented migrants occupying a building in the Square de l'Aviation in Anderlecht, Brussels on Friday 17 October 2025. Credit: Belga/Max Lohest
Negotiations are underway regarding a move to a new building, but those discussions could take several weeks. "In the meantime, people will likely end up back in squats," said Zone Neutre.
The collective still regrets the attitude of Anderlecht Mayor Fabrice Cumps (PS), who had previously indicated he could do nothing to prevent the eviction, as a judge had ordered the eviction.
"We have been trying to call him all morning, but he has not budged," the activists explained.
