Six people were injured—two of them critically—during a pro-Kurdish demonstration in the Belgian city of Antwerp on Thursday evening, after a peaceful protest escalated into violence near Opera Square, according to local authorities.
The incident occurred as around 50 demonstrators from the Kurdish community had gathered to demand protection for Kurds living in northeastern Syria. Police said the protest began peacefully around 18:00 local time, but tensions escalated shortly before it was due to end, at approximately 19:20.
Four of the injured were found near Opera Square, while two others were located in nearby areas, including Rooseveltplaats and Sint-Elisabethstraat. All six victims suffered stab wounds, emergency services confirmed.
Footage circulating on social media shows police officers neutralizing a suspect at the scene, with Kurdish and PKK flags visible nearby. Two individuals have been arrested, Antwerp police spokesperson Wouter Bruyns told Belgian daily De Morgen, adding that the suspects had reportedly mingled with protesters during the demonstration.
Police forces quickly secured the area and provided first aid until ambulances arrived. Authorities have not yet released details regarding the identity or motives of the suspects.
“A full investigation is underway at the scene, including forensic analysis,” Bruyns said, urging passersby to avoid the area. He added that no further details could be disclosed at this stage.
Organizers of the protest stressed that the gathering had remained peaceful until the outbreak of violence. Orhan Kilic, spokesperson for the Kurdish organization NavBel, described the attack as politically motivated.
“This is directly linked to the Kurdish issue and to jihadist attacks against Kurds in Syria. It is clearly politically motivated,” Kilic told De Morgen, adding that verbal harassment by extremist groups has now escalated into physical violence.
The incident comes amid rising tensions in northeastern Syria, where the U.S.-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have faced increasing attacks by Syrian government forces. The SDF controls strategically important, oil-rich territories, making the region a focal point of ongoing geopolitical and military conflict.
Belgian authorities have confirmed that investigations are ongoing to determine whether the attack was coordinated or linked to broader international political and ethnic tensions.
