Around a hundred activists from the organisation Extinction Rebellion occupied Place de l'Albertine in Brussels on Saturday. The police intervened at the end of the afternoon.
"Ahead of the Belgian and European elections scheduled for June 2024, the movement is calling for an immediate halt to fossil fuel subsidies and the construction of new fossil fuel infrastructure, and for a transition to renewable energies," the activists underlined.
According to a spokesperson for the organisation, most of the action took place in a festive atmosphere, "with music". "We then marched through the streets and blocked a few cars to raise awareness of the cause. The police then forced the activists off the road at Rue Cantersteen, asked for ID cards and confiscated equipment," she explained.
"During the action, the roadway was blocked by two people with a wooden tripod about two metres high near Mont des Arts," said police spokesperson Ilse Van de Keere. "The roadway has been cleared. The two activists have been identified and the tripod has been seized."
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"According to government figures, Belgium subsidised fossil fuels to the tune of €12.9 billion. [...] Despite the climate destruction they cause, the Belgian Government is also planning to subsidise the construction of three new plants in Seraing, Flémalle and Wondelghem, according to Tegengas-Dégaze (a citizens' movement, ed.), and other companies are in the process of applying for permits," the activists added.
On 28 January, some 150 activists blocked Rue Cantersteen in Brussels. Saturday's action was the second in a series announced by the collective in the run-up to the Belgian and European elections on 9 June.
