Police officer punches Vlaams Belang chairman Van Grieken in the face | Interior

Twenty members of Vlaams Belang came to Brussels this morning for a demonstration for the healthcare sector. The situation got out of hand. The cause of this is currently under further investigation. According to Vlaams Belang chairman Van Grieken, the party was targeted by the police. Vlaams Belang has only posted part of the incident on social media. VTM News has asked the party for the full images.

LOOK. Hannelore Simoens is live in Brussels after Tom Van Grieken gets hit by a policeman

The versions of the parties involved vary. According to the police, the presence of Vlaams Belang led to unrest among the demonstrators. “To keep the peace and to avoid further confrontations, our corps leadership decided to isolate this group,” says police spokeswoman Ilse Van de Keere. “This was accompanied by recalcitrance, followed by pushing and pulling. The correct circumstances of this are still being examined internally.”

Vlaams Belang says in a press release that the police prevented some MPs from the party from taking part in the demonstration. “Since when is a demonstration supporting healthcare a problem in Belgium? Is this what Brussels PS mayor Close understands by democracy? Our chairman Tom Van Grieken, among others, was punched in the face. We never give up and continue to stand up for our people,” Vlaams Belang tweeted with the video.

“The demonstration is not to the liking of the mayor of Brussels,” says Van Grieken. “He summoned the police to move us with the necessary force. I received a punch in the face (…). In this way, the PS mayor gives his orders to the police. I don’t blame them personally, because they take care of our safety every day. They are now letting themselves be put under the cart of the system for a French-speaking PS mayor. That goes against my chest,” said the Vlaams Belang chairman, who wants to file a complaint. Another MP is said to have received a knee blow.

“Care deserves better than these political games of the Brussels political elite,” adds Member of Parliament Dominiek Sneppe. “More staff, resources and respect so that they can cope with the workload, that is what the care sector deserves.”