Police arrive en masse at illegal carmeeting, but are surrounded and pelted: « local resident was even hit » (Zwevegem)
A police vehicle was badly damaged during an illegal carmeeting. – © PZ Mira
A large, illegal carmeeting provided a noisy, violent night in Kerkhove and Avelgem. The local police received dozens of emergency calls from concerned local residents in the night from Saturday to Sunday. « Given the size, the surrounding police zones and the federal police also arrived. One police vehicle was badly damaged in the nocturnal tumult, » says the Mira police zone.
When the phone calls and reports started to walk in around 2 o’clock on Sunday morning, the Mira police zone sent all available teams to Kerkhove and Avelgem. « There we found that there was an illegal, nocturnal carmeeting on the bridge over the Scheldt with as many as 150 participants, » said PZ Mira spokesperson.
« We immediately asked reinforcement from the PZ Flemish Ardennes, PZ Ronse, PZ Deinze-Zulte-Lievegem, PZ Gavers, PZ Vlas, PZ Grensleie and the federal road police. »
Back window
From the beginning, the police patrol had to deal with heavy aggression. « Service vehicles of our zone and the PZ Flemish Ardennes were surrounded. They threw objects and hit and kicked the vehicles. One car was badly damaged. The rear window was hit and they made attempts to steal material from the suitcase. »
« But thanks to a fast and coordinated assistance, the enclosed colleagues could bring themselves to safety without injuries. The intervention was more difficult by participants who jumped in the way or tried to climb on the vehicles. A local resident was even hit by a participant. In a targeted action, the perpetrator could later be intercepted in Zwevegem. »
Streets closed
The massive presence of the police ultimately quickly put an end to the illegal carmeeting and the participants spread in different directions. « In Zwevegem, a few streets were temporarily closed where suspicious vehicles were checked and identified. Dozens of number plates were noted. The police investigation into the illegal meeting and the violence is in full swing. »
