Brussels: Riots disrupt public transport

MIVB Public transport buses serving Sint-Joost-ten-Node, were diverted yesterday until the end of service hours (00:30). According to MIVB spokesperson Jean-Pierre Alvin commuters were injured by the riots.

In Sint-Joost tensions on the bus-line reached a high point at about 8:15pm, about an hour after the first reports by drivers of buses 65 and 66, says Alvin. Bus 61 was "attacked by a small group" by the Houwaert square. "One or two" commuters were injured. "We have decided to divert buses 59, 61 and 63 until the end of the service about 00:30am. They drive through the center of Sint-Joost. This because the federal police can't guarantee that peace will return within an hour or two.

In Schaarbeek the first reports of trouble no the bus lines came in about 7:05pm. The windows of three trams were smashed with stones. The damage is "relatively important", says Alvin. One commuter was hit by a tile and glass fragments. One tram engineer was hospitalized with shock. All tram lines were diverted.

After an interruption of 85 minutes, the situation on the bus lines returned to normal at about 8:35pm.

Source: HLN (Dutch)

See also: Brussels: Turkish riots

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