Five people were administratively arrested in Antwerp following calls on social media to attack Jewish people. Violence against Israeli football fans in Amsterdam last week is thought to have incited the social media calls.
Antwerp police were made aware of alarming calls on social media to attack Jews in the Jewish quarter this weekend, specifically in and around Harmoniepark.
The police deployed a visible presence and a drone in the neighbourhood. Outgoing Justice Minister Paul Van Tigchelt (Open VLD) was present at the scene, alongside the Shmira (the Jewish community’s private security service), which was on standby with about 20 officers.
Groups behaving suspiciously were approached by officers, and anyone in possession of flags, balaclavas or other material that could indicate action, or who refused to leave the area, risked administrative arrest. This is a form of detainment that can last under 12 hours, used to avoid a disturbance of public order in this case.
“[The police presence] eventually led to five administrative arrests, including some minors,” police spokesperson Wouter Bruyns said. “Their interrogations have yet to reveal their intentions.”
No incidents occurred. Locals living in the targeted neighbourhood were not told about the calls for attacks to avoid scaremongering.
Van Tigchelt spoke at a Jewish community meeting to reassure people after the violent incidents in Amsterdam. The violence was perpetrated by “antisemitic hit-and-run squads,” according to Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema, and is believed to have incited a call for attacks on Jews in Antwerp.
