Clash between a nationalist group and youths at a Palestine vigil keeps Kortrijk police busy for hours

Skirmishes broke out between two groups in the centre of Kortrijk on Saturday evening, VRT NWS reports. The trigger was a leaflet circulated on social media the week before, calling for a demonstration modelled on protests in Brussels and abroad. According to Focus-WTV, there had been calls for protests against education policy in several West Flemish cities. That demonstration did not take place in Kortrijk, but a counter-movement did: after calls to 'protect' the city, nationalist youths and hard-core supporters of several football clubs moved in groups through the shopping streets.

At around 7 pm that group reached the Veemarkt, where a peaceful pro-Palestinian vigil with a tent is held every week. This time it had been joined by young people with a migration background, and the two groups began provoking each other. Fights broke out at several places in the city centre, including the Lekkerbeetstraat. The Vlas police zone received reinforcements from other West Flemish zones and from the federal police to keep the groups apart, Focus-WTV writes. Three officers were injured. At 8.30 pm the mayor announced a ban on gatherings inside the ring road, and calm had returned by 9.30 pm.

Nine people, minors and adults from both groups, were placed under administrative arrest. They will all receive a ban from the area and judicial reports have been drawn up for the public prosecutor. Police also identified 41 people involved, who will each receive a municipal administrative fine of up to 500 euros. Early reports, including from Krant van West-Vlaanderen, still spoke of eight arrests.

Mayor Ruth Vandenberghe (TBSK) called it absurd that so many police officers had to be deployed, and said that anyone who comes to Kortrijk to deliberately seek confrontation will face the consequences. On Sunday morning the mayor, the police zone and the West Flanders prosecutor's office held a security meeting.