Belgian Waffle: Day Four of Riots in Brussels

Just what exactly is going on in Brussels where Belgian authorities are trying to get a handle on rioting in the capital after four days. News reports from the wire services are limited at best. The ostensible cause of the rioting was the death of a prisoner under strange circumstances.

Violence broke out on Monday evening in the working class Marolles district of Brussels after news that a 25-year-old inmate of North African origin died on Sunday, the official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.

The inmate was given a product to help him calm down, the official said. An investigation has been launched. On Tuesday, the youths torched a youth centre, attacked police cars and shops.

All the rioters on Tuesday were of North African origin, the official said, adding that 30 people were arrested.

The rioting also happens to coincide with the third night of Ramadan. Brussels Journal has more:

Last night the police arrested 45 rioters. One of them will be prosecuted for assaulting the owner of a shop. Philippe Close, the chef de cabinet of the Mayor of Brussels, Freddy Thielemans, said that the authorities would continue their efforts to defuse the situation in a peaceful manner, but he announced that the police will be less complacent in future, “since we cannot tolerate that this [Marollen] neighbourhood falls victim to a problem from outside the neighbourhood.”

The immigrant youths claim that they are upset by the death of Fayçal Chaaban, a 25-year old criminal, in a Brussels prison last Sunday. Yesterday morning the authorities announced they would hold a meeting with the youths to hear their grievances about security in prison, but the meeting, which was due last night, could not take place because of the riots.

So, the city has now been treated to four days of rioting by young men of North African descent, which is yet another euphemism for Muslim men rioting. The media has been reluctant to provide news reports or photos of the carnage, which includes destroyed and firebombed businesses and a hospital. Just what exactly will spur the Belgian authorities to crack down on the rioters.

And where are the media outlets? Had this kind of violence occurred in the US, the media outlets would be all over the rioting, with photos and color commentary about the rioters, the root causes, and all the usual reporting associated with a major story. Instead, we're getting little in the way of news. That seems odd considering the amount of damage done, the targets involved, and the fact that it doesn't appear to be letting up after four days. Newsbusters isn't the only one wondering about the paucity of media coverage. So is Freedom Folks, and This Scepter'd Isle.

The NY Sun's blog, It Shines For All, has more, and also notes the similarities with the French riots from last year. In that event, Muslims rioted for nearly a month, destroying nearly 10,000 cars, and caused hundreds of injuries and damaged hundreds of businesses. That incident was also ostenisbly caused by deaths under suspicious circumstances.

EU Referendum not only has a photo of one of the destroyed businesses, but wonders when is a riot not a riot. Well, I've seen that question asked before. About the riots in Paris. When I raised the question [link added in update].

Security Watchtower also notes that rioting occurred during Ramadan last year.

Others blogging: Dust my Broom, Snapped Shot, Michelle Malkin, LGF, Bizzyblog, and Gates of Vienna.

Technorati: riot, brussels, ramadan, belgium, north african.