The key facts

  • Belgium's ministries of defence and internal affairs are discussing the creation of a mobile brigade with military training to suppress riots
  • Defence Minister Theo Francken called the project a 'Gendarmerie 2.0'; the unit will be subordinate to the interior ministry
  • On Saturday, police in Brussels and Liège detained 195 people at protests against education policy and budget cuts

Plan for a new brigade

Belgium's ministry of defence and ministry of internal affairs are discussing the creation of a new mobile brigade to strengthen security during riots and violent demonstrations, the Belga agency reported on Monday. Defence Minister Theo Francken characterised the proposed unit as a 'Gendarmerie 2.0' operating under the direction of the ministry of internal affairs. Under the proposed scheme, the ministry of defence would provide military training to officers and place them at the disposal of the interior ministry.

Context and the ministers' position

The proposal followed recent violence around demonstrations in a number of European cities, including France and Belgium, where clashes occurred over the past weekend. On Saturday, Belgian police detained 195 people during protests against education policy and budget cuts in Brussels and Liège. 'When riots occur, security must be strengthened,' Francken said, emphasising the need for additional operational capacity to respond to an escalation of violence. 'We need an operational reserve with military training. When violence becomes so extreme, we must be able to protect citizens,' he added, noting that Prime Minister Bart De Wever is aware of the plans.

Interior ministry reaction

Interior Minister Bernard Quintin confirmed that discussions are under way and characterised the initiative as a continuation of existing cooperation between the police and the military. As examples, he cited joint guarding of a number of facilities and patrolling together with the railway police.