BELGIUM: New Year fireworks display cancelled in Brussels due to security concerns

Record ID: 422069

  • Title: BELGIUM: New Year fireworks display cancelled in Brussels due to security concerns
  • Date: 1st January 2008
  • Summary: (EU) BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (DECEMBER 31, 2007) (REUTERS) PEOPLE IN GRAND PLACE SQUARE IN BRUSSELS CITY CENTRE POLICEMEN MORE OF PEOPLE IN GRAND PLACE SQUARE (SOUNDBITE) (English) NICOLAS DASSONVILLE, SPOKESMAN FOR BRUSSELS CITY COUNCIL, SAYING: "They advised us not to celebrate the New Year with fireworks because that firework is grouping thousands of people and it's too bi
  • Embargoed: 16th January 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Belgium
  • Country: Belgium
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz
  • Reuters ID: LVABKMTXIJTFFQSEKMQUXTDOQCBA
  • Story Text: The city of Brussels has cancelled its traditional fireworks display to see in the New Year on Monday night (December 31) due to an ongoing state of heightened security.
    Mayor Freddy Thielemans and Nicolas Dassonville, the spokesmen for Brussels city council, decided to limit festivities on the advice of Belgium's crisis coordination centre on Sunday (December 30).

    "They advised us not to celebrate the New Year with fireworks because that firework is grouping thousands of people and it's too big risk for a time we are under threat of a terrorist attack. So, we followed their advice and decided not to organise that firework this year," said Dassonville.
    Michel Moreaux, a French tourist who is spending five days in the Belgian capital with his wife, understands the security measure.

    "We are in a difficult situation: on the one hand, we understand the security measure but on the other hand, we come from France and we would like to see the fireworks. But I think that security must take priority in a city like Brussels," said Moreaux.
    Lucile Duchemin, also from France, said she would be delighted to spend New Year's Eve in Brussels even if there weren't any fireworks.

    "We don't know yet what we are going to do tonight, we will just be together visiting Brussels, and we will decide what to do when we do.
    Perhaps we will come here to see the lights and the people around here, that's nice," said Duchemin.
    Christmas market stalls and the city centre's ice rink will also close earlier than normal on Monday evening due to the alert prompted on December 21 when authorities unveiled what they said was a plot to spring an al Qaeda suspect from jail.
    The 14 suspected Islamic militants arrested then were released the next day, but Belgium has kept in place increased security, including more police patrols at Brussels airport, on transport networks and at commercial centres.
    Dutch tourists Pieta van Twist and Steffen Knot, who came to Brussels specially for the fireworks, are disappointed that they have been cancelled.

    "This is the second time we came here for the fireworks and we are a little bit disappointed that its cancelled. That's a pity, but there is nothing to do about it," said van Twist.
    Belgium hosts NATO, the European Union institutions and the offices of many multinational companies. Other western European cities appear set to go ahead with New Year festivities as normal.
    The measures will stay in force until at least January 3, when the crisis coordination centre next meets.
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