A restaurant on Boomsesteenweg in Antwerp has been ordered to close for one month due to “serious threats to public safety,” acting mayor Els van Doesburg (N-VA) announced.
The decision follows a targeted attack on the restaurant’s operators several weeks ago, which, according to initial investigations, was linked to drug-related criminal activity.
On the night of 15 August, a vehicle parked outside the residence of the restaurant’s operators was set on fire.
“The investigation shows the arson is connected to the drug scene,” said the mayor’s office. “This is a well-known tactic where an attack is carried out on a business, property, or vehicle to intimidate the individuals involved or their families.”
City officials warn that the restaurant itself may become a target in the future. “The establishment is located near the busy Abdijstraat, in an area with many shops and schools,” a city statement read. “This creates a genuine risk to nearby residents, customers, and passers-by, including cyclists, motorists, and schoolchildren. The fact that the venue operates late into the night increases the potential for casualties in the event of another violent incident.”
By temporarily closing and sealing the premises, the city aims to “prevent rival criminal groups from carrying out further acts of public violence” and to restore peace to the area.
Authorities also stated that if the operators do not comply with the closure order, the police will clear and seal the premises.
