Major uprising in Turnhout prison: “Telephone breakdown and strike by guards were at the root of the unrest” | Turnhout

Due to the timing of the riot – Friday evening – the police had to call in many off-duty officers. “That’s why it took a while before we could perform. As soon as we had enough men, that could happen,” says Rudy Remijsen, spokesperson for the Turnhout Police Region. In addition to the police, the fire brigade also arrived on site. A fire was also set by the rebels. The neighbors of Hannuitstraat were initially also asked to keep an eye out for detainees in the street or their garden. Some detainees ended up between the double fence, but there was never a real escape attempt.

The local police therefore received massive support from other forces in the region. A water cannon also arrived at the prison site later in the evening. “Such a vehicle is sent out as standard by the Brussels police force in such situations. In this case, the car was here as a precaution,” Remijsen assures. “All detainees were led back to their cells one by one and offered no resistance. No one got hurt either.”

The uprising ultimately lasted about three hours. The detainees responded in this way to the telephone breakdown that took place in the prison on Friday and the announced guards’ strike on Monday and Tuesday. The telephone outage caused frustration among some prisoners because it prevented them from having contact with the home front. News of the strike only added fuel to the fire, causing the detainees to riot. Such a strike means that prisoners have to stay in their cells almost all day, which they clearly don’t like.