Deadly Police Action Ignites Anger: Four Arrests after Memorial March for Fabian
Brussel, maandag, 9 juni 2025.
A memorial march for 11-year-old Fabian, who died during a police chase in Elizabeth Park, escalated into serious unrest. After an initially serene gathering, the situation deteriorated with four individuals arrested. The demonstrators, primarily focused on justice for Fabian, expressed their anger by chanting slogans, throwing projectiles, and confronting the police. The water cannon was deployed to disperse the heated crowd, further exposing the tense social relations between citizens and law enforcement. The case raises fundamental questions about police conduct and the treatment of minors.
Context and Motivation of the Memorial March
On Sunday afternoon, hundreds of people gathered in Elizabeth Park in Ganshoren to commemorate 11-year-old Fabian, who died during a police chase on 2 June 2025 [1][2]. The gathering began around 11:00 AM in silence, with many attendees dressed in white clothing and carrying flowers [3]. Speakers expressed their grief and anger, repeatedly chanting the slogan ‘Justice for Fabian’ [3].
Escalation of the Demonstration
After an initially peaceful memorial, the situation quickly escalated. A group of approximately twenty demonstrators sought confrontation with the police, chanting slogans such as ‘Police Assassin’ and ‘No Justice, No Peace’ [1][2]. The police were compelled to deploy the water cannon to disperse the crowd [4][5].
Arrests and Unrest
During the disturbance, four individuals were arrested: one administrative and three judicial, according to the Brussels-West police zone [1][2]. Demonstrators threw projectiles, blocked streets with street furniture, and spray-painted the name ‘Fabian’ on the police station [4][5].