A complaint against Brussels-Ixelles police officers was lodged by three young Ixelles residents and neighbourhood educators, it was announced on Tuesday.
Residents of the area were attending a barbeque in a new neighbourhood centre on Rue Malibran in Ixelles on 30 August when police officers arrived to carry out a drug check, reports Bruzz.
The police officers shut down the barbeque and behaved violently with some of the attendees, according to Belgian media outlets.
"We were invited to the opening of a new youth centre, but I didn't even have time to greet everyone before the police shut down everything," said one of the young people who was attacked, reports La Capitale.
"Forty policemen arrived. Some provoked and insulted us. I was beaten from behind and also while lying on the ground," the victim said to La Capitale.
The complaint was filed on 3 September, a spokesperson from the police confirmed. An internal investigation into the behaviour of the concerned police officers was launched.
"I will organise a meeting with the young people, the educators, and the police to debrief on what happened and to exchange. We urgently need to restore dialogue between youth and the police," said Mayor of Ecolo, Christos Doulkeridis.
Evie McCullough
The Brussels Times
