Even a day after the fatal terrorist attack on two Swedish football fans, Brussels is still in shock. Some schools remained closed on Tuesday and a minute’s silence was held in the EU Parliament. “Krone” editor Doris Vettermann reports on the spot from the Belgian capital.
On Tuesday evening, sirens sounded again and again in Brussels, and during the day the city shut down public life. The EU institutions have canceled all meetings as best they could and switched to videoconferencing. If you didn’t necessarily have to go to the office, you had to stay at home.
Flemish schools remained closed
They did not want to run the risk that people would no longer be able to leave Commission or Council buildings due to roadblocks or large-scale closures. The Flemish schools remained closed, but the French schools taught as usual. As the day progressed, the situation returned to normal, with traffic jams on the main streets of Brussels, like every day. The terror alert level was lowered from 4 to 3 in the afternoon.
A minute’s silence was held in the European Parliament. “Terror and extremism must not enter our societies. We have the right to feel safe and live in safety,” said parliament speaker Roberta Metsola in Strasbourg. “We cannot let hatred win,” she added.
Memories of terror in 2016
Brussels is in shock; For many residents, the attack brought back terrible memories of the terror in 2016, when a total of 32 people were killed in attacks on the airport and a metro station in the EU district. And there is now criticism of the authorities. The attacker from Tunisia applied for asylum in Belgium in 2019, the application was rejected, the man went into hiding and was removed from the official Belgian national register in February 2021.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises against non-essential travel to Brussels
In total, 5,500 to 6,000 Austrians live in the Belgian capital. “Austria’s full solidarity goes out to Belgium in the face of this cowardly terrorist attack. We at the embassy are in contact with the Austrian authorities in Brussels and are closely monitoring the situation,” said Austrian Ambassador to Belgium Jürgen Meindl.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
