The environmental organisation Extinction Rebellion announced on Thursday its intention to file a civil complaint against the City of Brussels in response to the behaviour of police during a demonstration that took place on 12 October.
The demonstration took place in Parc Royal and was attended by 400 people. The police reportedly used tear gas and water cannons on the protesters.
The reaction of the police to the peaceful protest prompted condemnation from observers. On 21 October, four disciplinary procedures were launched into the behaviour of the police during the demonstration.
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By filing the complaint, Extinction Rebellion hopes to receive compensation for anybody who suffered mental or physical damages during the climate demonstration, Belga news agency explained.
"The totally unexpected violence was used to divide and scare us. It is clear how authorities answered our action: do as you’re told, don’t question what society should be like or how society should develop," said a post on Extinction Rebellion Belgium's Facebook page.
In the Facebook post, Extinction Rebellion Belgium encouraged anybody who wanted to testify about the behaviour of the police on 12 October to send the organisation an email before 29 October.
"We will bundle all of the testimonies and present them as a collective complaint to several institutions in the name of XRBelgium [Extinction Rebellion Belgium]," the Facebook post explained.
The organisation also intends to lodge a criminal complaint to attain official confirmation that the police of Brussels-Capital-Ixelles have opened an internal investigation into police behaviour on 12 October.
Evie McCullough
The Brussels Times
