Brussels news and social media channels yesterday were awash with images of Kalashnikov-toting gunmen in the Clémenceau metro station in a shooting that again pushed public safety to the fore. And as if to confirm that Brussels is indeed a Wild West, the same happened this morning, though this time a handgun was the weapon of choice. One person was shot in the leg.
In the wake of Wednesday's incident, residents had already told The Brussels Times that Anderlecht (the municipality where the shootings have taken place) is afflicted by rampant drug trafficking and violence. This much is bleedingly obvious, as well as the clear disregard the gangs have for ineffectual policing efforts.
One person spoke of a lack of control, saying that the area has "cafés that cover their windows to hide what is going on inside, or hairdressers that are actually involved in completely different shady business." The Anderlecht mayor referred to the highly lucrative trade, that has pumped money into the dealing networks and brought more deadly weapons.
As covered last year, Brussels is part of a much bigger trafficking network that is believed to spread beyond Belgium. Authorities are quick to point out that tackling the issue must be done in cooperation with other police forces and tight control of the entire smuggling chain. But with every shooting we must also ask whether enough is being done at the local level.
The division of Brussels police zones rather than having a unified regional force seems increasingly hopeless in the face of such crime. But still mayors cling to the existing separation of local zones – something that the new Minister of Foreign Affairs has said is incomprehensible. And he's not alone.
The new public prosecutor expressed frustration about an "incoherent" justice system in which prison sentences fail to serve as a deterrent, largely because sentences aren't served to their completion. "Impunity is the enemy of the rule of law," he said in a radio interview, describing how repeat offenders get off lightly, undermining authority. "Ultimately it's citizens that pay," he warned.
And whilst these shootings have been framed as a "wake-up call to start negotiating for a Brussels government again", one doubts if anything can shake the warring factions from their stand-off.
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