About 4,000 students, according to police, marched Wednesday afternoon in the streets of Namur to celebrate 'Saint-Nicolas' (Sinterklaas in Dutch) with floats, music and beer.
This turnout was nearly double that of 2018, and was focused on the theme of TV series.
The procession left Place Saint-Aubain around 2:00 PM, with six floats, musical entertainment and beer. Initially, police had estimated between 1,000 and 2,000 students, but announced finally that around 4,000 gathered to celebrate this important moment of Namur’s student folklore.
The parade in the city centre took place in a friendly atmosphere with no particular incidents reported, police said, who were present in force. Only traffic was disrupted.
At the stroke of 6:00 PM, the students gathered on Place Saint-Aubain, where the party continued until 9:00 PM.
The "Saint-Nic" is organized by the UNamur students General Assembly, the Assembly of Circles and the Inter-Regional Committee. It is an opportunity for students to celebrate one last time while it is allowed. Circles and regional associations also take advantage of this event to get to be known.
A Namur tradition since 1981, the event was not held between 2015 and 2018 due to the social unrest linked to terrorism.
The Brussels Times
Photos: Belga
