"The security plan worked well," during an incident at Carnival

The mayor of Aalst has requested no additional security measures after a man drove his car into the parade route during carnival celebrations on Sunday. "The intervention of the police prevented the worst. The emergency and intervention plan worked perfectly," said Christoph D'Haese.

The incident happened around 19:00 and did not cause any injuries. The driver was arrested. The prosecutor's office in East Flanders indicated that the driver was under the influence of sleeping pills.

Dit is de Citroën Saxo waarmee de verdachte probeerde op het parcours van #AalstCarnaval te geraken. Geen nummerplaten. Schade aan bumper is oude schade. #Aalst #Carnaval @tvoost_vl pic.twitter.com/YMGGgCoa8l

— Stavros Van Halewyck (@stavrosvh) March 3, 2019

The driver is said to have told the police that he "wanted to teach Aalst a lesson," according to reports. They have also said that the man had a psychiatric history. 

A baseball bat and knives were found in the car, said D'Haese. 

"These security measures are needed more than ever," said D'Haese. If the question of do we need police is raised, then this is the telling evidence, he added.

The Brussels Times