About 500 residents of Saint-Gilles in Brussels gathered in Bethlehem Square on Sunday afternoon to protest against organised crime after recent shootings in the municipality.
The demonstration was organised in response to a spate of gun violence that has shaken the area and heightened concerns among local people about safety in their neighbourhoods.
Protesters urged politicians to go beyond law enforcement alone and place greater emphasis on prevention. They also said residents themselves have a part to play in tackling the problem.
“Organised crime has created a machine in our neighbourhoods, fuelled by the drugs trade,” said Timothy Eden, one of the organisers. “That machine is swallowing up our streets, our parks, our playgrounds, but also our shops and cafés, and even our sleep. We feel abandoned by our politicians, who seem concerned only with political games.”
Despite their frustration, residents said they are determined to help find solutions to the violence affecting the municipality.
“Repression is part of the answer, and the police and justice system must be given the staff and resources they need,” said Marcella Militello of the non-profit group BASTA! (Belgian Antimafia: Steps Toward Awareness!). “But they cannot solve this alone. The response must also come from citizens and civil society.”
She said the area does not need “an army of soldiers” but “an army of teachers, social workers and youth outreach workers.”
Militello also said the community must be willing to welcome back young people who have fallen into the grip of organised crime and are leaving prison or juvenile institutions, and to offer them new opportunities.
BASTA! is also calling for stronger support for local traders and for money confiscated from criminal activity to be reinvested in affected neighbourhoods.
