The Antwerp police started an internal enquiry after footage started circulating online of a police officer telling a few girls sitting together that he does not want their "leftist preaching" after they did not respect the social distance.
The girls said they were eating while sitting on the ground when they were addressed by the police officers, telling them to keep the necessary distance between them.
ik was dus gewoon aan het eten buiten mijn school, twee vriendinnen in dezelfde bubbel zitten dicht op elkaar, die POLITIE agent zegt letterlijk “geef mij geen linkse preek” en “gij denkt da gij ver gaat komen in het leven” pic.twitter.com/pFVf6DLtma
— Alex (@Cuyverss) September 9, 2020
According to the girls, they could sit so close together as they were part of the same social contact bubble, to which one police officer replies that he does not want to hear their "leftist preaching," and asks them if "they think they will get far in life."
The Antwerp police have seen the footage and are now going to start an internal investigation. "We do not approve of the statements made by those colleagues," police spokesperson Willem Migom said on VRT radio.
However, the police do want to know what exactly happened before the video starts, as only part of the discussion is visible. "We also advise the girls to file a formal complaint, because we have not received one yet," Migom added.
Maïthé Chini
The Brussels Times