The Brussels prosecutor’s office said on Wednesday it had opened an investigation into “involuntary manslaughter” after a 23-year-old black man lost consciousness at a police station shortly after his arrest. He later died in the hospital.
Hundreds of protesters gathered in Liedts Square in the center of Brussels. Video of the scene showed scuffle as protesters threw rocks and projectiles as police deploy a water cannon.
Some protesters wore Black Lives Matter signs and shouted, “We want the truth.”
King Philippe’s car was “momentarily stuck” nearby, the palace told CNN, and the vehicle was hit by a pair of projectiles thrown at police officers around the monarch’s convoy.
The king himself was not targeted and “his safety was never compromised,” they said.
A death in police custody
The death that triggered Wednesday’s protests occurred on Saturday, after police “checked” a group of people who had gathered despite coronavirus measures restricting public gatherings, the prosecution said.
A man – identified as Ibrahima B. by the lawyer representing his family – “fled on foot and was arrested by police for questioning,” the prosecution said.
“When he arrived at the police station, IB lost consciousness and the police officers present called the emergency services. An ambulance and emergency team arrived and IB was taken to hospital. He died in the hospital at 8:22 pm.” added the statement.
During a demonstration about his death on Wednesday, the family’s lawyer, Alexis Deswaef, told Belgian television: “I know one thing – if that was my son, who is white and the same age, it wouldn’t have happened. “
Deswaef told CNN that “the family was told their son had a heart defect” but that this “would not be the only cause of death.”
Toxicology tests “show traces of narcotics,” the lawyer added, but these “would not explain death.”
Commenting on the protests, Federal Police Commissioner General Marc De Mesmaeker said Thursday: “We can understand that emotions are running high … but the way this happened is completely unacceptable.”
He accused protesters of “vandalism” and said five police officers were injured in the unrest.
Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne said on Twitter on Wednesday, “We cannot accept in any way what happened today … The rioters will not get away with impunity.”