A man, who threw a Molotov cocktail (also known as a petrol bomb) at a building of the federal parliament in the Belgian capital, has been detained, The Brussels Times cited the public prosecutor’s office as saying.
The detainee, whose name was not disclosed, is currently being questioned by police who earlier said there had been no casualties following the Monday incident and that just a few cars were damaged.
Illustration shows DOVO - SEDEE robot in action after a man of 36 years old launch a molotov cocktail on Belgian federal parliament building before being arrested.
— BelgaImage (@BelgaImage) July 27, 2020
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📸 @LDieffembacq
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.#belgaimage #illustration #DOVO #molotov #parliament pic.twitter.com/U6WVeDimn1
The police also said that the army’s mine clearing service had been deployed to the scene to check if any more dangerous material could still be in the man’s vehicle.
There was no immediate word on his motive and whether the man was already known by the police, but the independent news network RTBF reported that shortly before the incident, the detainee posted a video on social media which allegedly contained a threat to carry out a deed near the Belgian Parliament.
RTBF only identified the detainee as a 36-year-old man who is ostensibly suspected of supporting Belgium’s right-wing political movement.