arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

The irresponsible thorwer(s) was/were standing amidst a group of Belgian activists, that were loud and determined but not aggressive, he/they didn't stand out in that group, so let it be clear, the riots were not set of by fourteen year old Moroccan kids. Most protesters responded disapprovingly. And yet the police responded very fast and indiscriminate, macing peaceful protesters, including people from the demo's security (see pic 2) and using the water cannon amidst a group of people, not giving elderly people and people with children the chance/time to get away.
After that thing escalated and a small group composed of black-blockers and Moroccan adolescents joined in throwing stones, leaflets, anything they could get their hands on at the police. They also turned on a bank that was on the other side of the street.

Most other activists decided to stay, determined not to let either the police or a small group of more radical activists spoil their right to protest and free speech. The rioting died down after a while but the police insisted on spraying the peaceful activists, that continued shouting slogans, standing in the middle of the streets making peace signs. A spontaneous band was formed and people started dancing, thus reclaiming the space in front of the embassy. The atmosphere turned determined non-violent. But the police didn't see it that way. A total of 7 water canons were used, up to four of them were directly aimed at the protesters at one time.

In the end a group of about 1000 people was slowly being closed in.

I disagree with this comment. From my point of view, riots were not provocated by one or two "idiot" people. It was more spontaneous that what Libby means and based on a real angry feeling against the Bush criminal gang.There have been riots in Brussels since the beginning of the war and not only that day.
We cannot isolate facts from the context. Don't also forget the repression we know in Belgium against activists. As last exemple, on friday evening, more than 100 completely peaceful protestors have been arrested in front of the US Embassy. Violence comes from many sides. From wich one are you?

Why separate protestors between belgians and moroccans (are you sure they were moroccans?), young and old, peaceful and violent,... What I saw was that all of us were united against the war.

I saw what I saw, these two objects, either thrown by one person or by two different persons hiding amidst a group of people I know that was shortly before that joined by a few individuals unknown to the group were in no relation to the empty cans and tangereens that had been thrown before. Strage too that only a few seconds later the police reacted, by macing people, not the ones that threw those objects but people throwing less harmfull stuff at least 5 m away, by the time the police started spraying mace at the spot were the heavy objects hat been thrown, the trowers had left, all this did happen within moments. Straight after that the water cannon started spraying the protesters. Deliberate or not, this was the occasion the police had been waiting for and they seemed very well prepared. The action in itself still didn't justify the reaction, they chose not to target the people that triend to endager the crowd but put the crowd in danger (read the report of the medical team).

This said, I do not mean that I don't understand or that I dissaprove of the activists that fought back after the police decided we were all legitimate targets for their violence, elderly people and children included.

I also expicitly wished to point out that it were not the little arab kids that started the violence, which i heard several activists present state as a fact without, feeling the need to check if that was true or not. Racism, or at least prejudice, is still a disease, even amongst acitivists that call themselves left wing. I agree with you that it shouldn't matter, but sadly it does. I hope some day it won't need to do that anymore.