For some long-time residents of Saint-Gilles, the past few weeks have felt like a breaking point.
Known for its vibrant mix of cultures and lively café terraces, the Brussels municipality has been shaken by a surge of violent incidents that are threatening its reputation - and leaving many residents deeply concerned.
On 2 October, shots were fired around 01:45 at Place Bethléem, and bullets were found to have struck nearby primary school Les Quatre Saisons. One bullet became lodged in the school secretary’s window frame, and another was embedded in the double glazing of a classroom window. No one was injured, but the shock rippled through the community.
On 5 October, a man was shot and wounded in the early hours of the morning in Jacques Franck Square. The same day, a woman was attacked near the Gare du Midi, suffering head and hand injuries, possibly from a knife.
Then, on 7 October, four people were injured - two critically - in another shooting on Boulevard du Midi, at the border between Bruxelles-Ville and Saint-Gilles.
'I don’t go out at night anymore'
“I’ve been living in Saint-Gilles since 1972, so I’ve really seen the neighbourhood change,” local resident César told The Brussels Times. “But now, with all the shootings, I don’t go out at night anymore. I’m too scared. I’m shocked that people are shooting next to schools. Saint-Gilles isn’t what it used to be.”
César has lived in Saint-Gilles since 1972. Credit: The Brussels Times/Léa Huppe.
For many business owners, the violence is already reshaping life in the neighbourhood. “I’ve had my restaurant here for 20 years,” says Mustafa, a restaurant owner near Porte de Hal.
“Two days ago, I heard gunshots just before midnight. I was in my car and got so scared that I drove off. Thirty seconds later, seven police cars were already there. They’re doing their job well. But I’m afraid for my children. In the evening, there’s no one around anymore. We get far fewer customers once it gets dark because people are scared.”
Mustafa heard gunshots a few days ago. Credit: The Brussels Times/Léa Huppe.
Georges, who runs a restaurant on Boulevard du Midi, says he feels the same sense of anxiety. “Am I scared? Of course I am!” he exclaims. “In just one year, the neighbourhood changed completely. We don’t understand why - we are overwhelmed. I have young children, and I’m afraid for them. What will they become in a neighbourhood like this?”
Not everyone feels the same. Ahmad, who recently opened a shoe shop a few meters away from Georges’ restaurant, says so far, he has not been directly affected by the incidents. “My shop is closed in the evenings when the shootings usually happen,” he says. “So I don’t feel unsafe. But I’ve only been here three months”.
Parents scared for their children's safety
For parents like Malika, the fear runs deepest when it comes to their children. “I’m terrified,” she says. “The shootings often happen at night, but also during the day, sometimes early in the morning. I get really scared when I take my children to school. Last week, they shot at a school - it could have been my children’s school.”
A close-up of bullet holes in the window of the Quatre Saisons school in Bethleem Place in Saint-Gilles. Credit: Belga.
Malika also says she no longer chooses to go to the park next to the Porte de Hal metro station. “I’m afraid of being attacked there by people who are on drugs. It’s not normal that these people are left on the streets, in plain sight, and that the police do nothing,” she said.
'Normalisation' of gun violence
Jean Spinette (PS), the mayor of Saint-Gilles, has publicly shared his frustration and concern on the municipality's problems. In an open letter shared with Interior Minister Bernard Quintin, public prosecutor Julien Moinil, and Brussels-Midi Police Chief Jurgen De Landsheer, Spinette called for urgent reinforcements and condemned what he called the “normalisation” of gun violence.
Mayor of Saint-Gilles Jean Spinette pictured at the Quatre Saisons school in Bethleem place in Saint-Gilles. Credit: Belga.
“When I saw the bullet lodged in the window of this classroom, that was a turning point”, he told The Brussels Times. The mayor says he made efforts to reassure teachers and parents, but admits feeling "powerless".
Despite repeated requests for a permanent police presence on Place Bethléem, he said the commune lacks sufficient officers, many of whom are regularly reassigned to major national events.
“I’m supposed to guarantee public order, but I simply don’t have the means. The dealers are mocking us, acting with complete impunity,” he said.
For Spinette, the problem extends beyond local policing: “Consumers need to realise that by keeping these dealing spots profitable, they’re going to end up with blood on their hands.”
A meeting with Interior Minister Bernard Quentin has been scheduled in the coming days, but residents say they need action - not just words.
