Belgian Police briefly used water cannon to control several hundred rowdy protesters in central Brussels on Sunday after they ignored an official call for marches to be postponed following Tuesday’s bombings.
They invaded the Place de la Bourse as people paid tribute at a makeshift memorial for victims of last Tuesday’s deadly attacks.
Riot police intervened to try to restore order after the group confronted Muslim women in the crowds, made Nazi salutes and chanted.
The attacks at Brussels Airport and on the metro killed 28 people.
Amid fears of further attacks, officials wanted to give police the scope to focus on investigations which have widened to other countries, leading to the arrest of an Algerian in Italy and intelligence cooperation with Germany. Police carried out 13 new raids in Belgium itself.
Most of the protests were peaceful but white-helmeted riot police used the water cannon against a group of protesters, many of whom local media described as right-wing nationalists, who burst onto the square chanting and carrying banners denouncing Islamic State.
“It is highly inappropriate that protesters have disrupted the peaceful reflection at the Bourse (stock exchange). I strongly condemn these disturbances,” Prime Minister, Charles Michel said.
