An internal police investigation has been opened after footage circulated on social media of an aggressive operation in Brussels' Place Saint-Catherine, a police spokesperson confirmed Monday.
The video shows police agents using pepper spray and aggressively tackling people and pushing girls to the ground after they were called to the central Brussels square where a confrontation between a group of young people was taking place, according to Bruzz.
The footage also shows one police agent holding a young man to the ground with his knee as the man complains that he can't breathe.
During the operation, which took place in the early hours of June 21, news that two police officers were injured by projectiles led Brussels Mayor, Philippe Close, to announce he was filing a complaint after he expressed his support to the agents.
"There should not be a sense of impunity in Brussels. I will never allow the police to be attacked, they must guard the safety of our fellow citizens," Close, said, prompting police to find the perpetrators "as quickly as possible," according to the Dutch-speaking news site.
The Brussels-Ixelles police zone will conduct an internal investigation into the events.
Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
