The Brussels police arrested two members of the Femen feminist group on Sunday afternoon just after 03.00 p.m. as they protested bare-breasted on the flower carpet at Brussels Grand-Place. The women were protesting against the Federal Government’s decision to detain migrant children in a closed centre in Steenokkerzeel, according to a VTM report confirmed by the spokesman of the Brussels-Ixelles police, Olivier Slosse. They were questioned by the police then freed at about 05.00 p.m. A report was drawn up and was scheduled to be submitted to the Office of the Public Prosecutor of Brussels.
The two protesters, clad only in shoes and black shorts, held a banner which said, “This is not a scandal, but locking children up is”, in reference to the first detention of an immigrant family with children on Tuesday at the new Steenokkerzeel closed centre.
The same message was written on their chests. On their backs, they bore the message: "Shame on Belgium".
Standing in the centre of the carpet of flowers, the activists used a megaphone to explain their motivations to vistors and onlookers.
On the VTM footage, two men linked to the organisation of the event could be seen walking on the floral carpet to evacuate the two women.
The Brussels Times
