Activists protesting the redevelopment of Vandervelde Square and the Chaussée de Mons in Anderlecht damaged traffic signs, concrete blocks, and a construction crane last night. Tens of thousands of euros worth of damage was caused, and lives were also endangered.
A major Brussels Mobility project began in Anderlecht on Monday. Over a three-year period, Vandervelde Square, Albert I Square, and the Chaussée de Mons between them will be redeveloped.
The road will eventually become a one-way street, with car traffic still able to travel from Rue Emile Carpentier to Albert I Square, but no traffic in the opposite direction.
Several interventions are intended to improve road safety between Albert I Square and the Cureghem bridge. The test setup with a roundabout on Vanderveldesquare will become permanent, a cut in the Quai de l'Industrie will create a mini-pedestrian zone, and the removal of a lane on Chaussée de Mons will free up space for a two-way cycle path.
Punctured tyres, broken windows
The project is sparking significant protests in the neighbourhood, partly because around 100 parking spaces will be lost.
During the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, activists from the "Non au plan Good Move" committee removed a barrier on the Cureghem bridge, which had been installed as part of the planned redevelopment, and moved several concrete blocks.
According to the activists, this barrier was causing "unbearable traffic chaos." The barrier and concrete blocks were replaced on Wednesday morning.
Last night, the protest took a more serious turn, Bruzz reports. A four-metre-high concrete block was damaged, and all signage was removed. Some of the traffic signs even landed in the canal, and several construction panels were thrown from the Cureghem bridge onto the bicycle path beneath the bridge.
The protesters also damaged a construction crane belonging to the contractor. The tyres were punctured, the windows broken, and the motor was also damaged, the outlet reports.
Vandalism
"This is no longer a protest, but vandalism," Inge Paemen, spokesperson for Brussels Mobility, told Bruzz. "People's lives were also endangered here. We can only count ourselves lucky that no one was passing under the bridge when the panels were thrown down."
"The removed panels and signage also demarcated an area where the asphalt had just been scraped away. Cars driving on that stretch of road could not only be damaged but also have an accident," she added.
The damage could not yet be fully estimated, but it is estimated to be in the tens of thousands of euros, according to Paemen.
Brussels Mobility has filed a complaint and is now assessing how it can continue the work and whether the construction site needs to be secured. Consultations are also said to be underway at a political level.
