The key facts
- Shops on Avenue Louise, Porte de Namur and Rue Neuve boarded up their windows on 24 October 2026
- The measures followed the looting of 17 October, when police used tear gas and water cannons
- Some shops, including Nike and Quick, remained open despite the protective boards
Shops prepare for possible unrest
Retail outlets across Brussels boarded up their windows and entrances with wooden panels on Saturday, 24 October 2026, fearing a repeat of the looting and riots that swept the Belgian capital a week earlier. According to Euronews, wooden panels turned shop windows along the shopping streets into blank walls. The precautions were explained by calls on social media for a new gathering in the city on Saturday. Shops around Avenue Louise, Porte de Namur and Rue Neuve reinforced their premises against possible damage and theft.
Who closed and who kept operating
Those taking protective measures included luxury brands Tiffany & Co., Prada, Versace and Ferragamo, as well as Lacoste, Nike and Nespresso. Small businesses also put up boards, including an optician's and a phone repair shop. The measures went beyond retail: the Quick restaurant closed its windows and entrance with wooden panels. At the same time, part of the business kept operating: at Nike, customers could enter through an unboarded doorway, while Quick placed a small sign reading “open” on its boarded-up facade. Pedestrians continued to walk past the shops, and traffic on the surrounding streets continued. According to Euronews, clashes did ultimately occur, but were limited compared with the previous week.
What happened on 17 October
The precautions followed the riots of 17 October, when several shops on Rue Neuve were looted. Police used tear gas and water cannons against rioters who clashed with law enforcement officers in central Brussels. For the shops operating on Saturday, the boards became a way to protect their windows while keeping at least some entrances open to customers.
Why it matters
The events affect retailers in central Brussels, who bear direct costs for protecting their windows and risk losses from looting, as the 17 October episode on Rue Neuve already showed. The facts presented indicate that businesses are adapting to recurring threats, combining property protection with continued trading, while the authorities and police once again deployed crowd-control means — tear gas and water cannons. Sources do not specify the final scale of the damage from Saturday's clashes.
