Police in Belgium have confirmed that six individuals sustained injuries during a violent knife attack at a Kurdish demonstration in Antwerp on Thursday evening. The incident occurred near the city's prominent Opera Square, known locally as Operaplein, leaving two victims in critical condition requiring urgent hospital treatment.
Swift Police Response and Suspect Apprehension
According to police spokesperson Wouter Bruyns, officers acted promptly to detain two suspects believed to have infiltrated the protest gathering. Initial investigations suggest the assailants deliberately mingled with demonstrators before launching their attack with knives.
Four stabbing victims were discovered directly within Opera Square, while two additional injured persons were located nearby in the Rooseveltplaats and Sint-Elisabethstraat areas, as reported by local media sources.
Investigation Focuses on Attempted Murder
Authorities have clarified that the violent episode is being treated as a case of attempted murder rather than terrorism. Police teams are currently examining extensive CCTV footage from the vicinity to ensure no further suspects remain at large following the arrests.
Peaceful Protest Turns Violent
The demonstration outside Antwerp's Opera House had commenced as a peaceful gathering, with approximately fifty participants according to newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws. Protesters waved flags representing the Kurdistan Workers' party (PKK) alongside national symbols, expressing solidarity with Kurdish communities in northern Syria where conflict continues.
Orhan Kilic, representing Navbel (an organisation supporting Belgium's Kurdish diaspora), described how the situation deteriorated rapidly around 7:20 PM local time as the protest concluded. "Just as the protest was disbanding, the Kurdish demonstrators were attacked by a group of men," Kilic stated. "These individuals had sneaked into the demonstration and suddenly produced knives, beginning to stab people indiscriminately."
Community Representatives Express Concern
Kilic emphasised the targeted nature of the violence, noting that families, women, young people and children had participated in the demonstration. He asserted: "It is clear that this attack is not an isolated instance of senseless violence, but a motivated attack on a community."
Forensic officers conducted detailed examinations at Opera Square following the incident, while police advised the public to avoid the area during their investigative work. The Antwerp authorities continue their enquiries into the circumstances surrounding this disturbing attack on demonstrators exercising their right to peaceful assembly.
