Police officers carrying out a patrol were confronted with a fight involving several dozen individuals on the Grand-Place in Ath, during the night from Friday to Saturday, shortly before 2 a.m.
Reinforcements were immediately requested from neighboring areas. “All the police zones in the region and even further afield intervened” indicates the head of the Ath police zone, the divisional commissioner Frédéric Pettiaux.
“Initially, there was obviously a big fight in an establishment in the Grand-Place, and it continued outside involving a large number of individuals. Most of the protagonists are individuals from the region. ; some come from the movement of criminal gangs linked to biker circles.
Several people were injured to varying degrees, but fortunately no police.
Beyond the procedures that will be launched on the judicial level, the police are obviously also studying the measures that could be taken to prevent such an event.
“In any case, we will react” explains for his part the mayor of Ath, Bruno Lefebvre (PS). “ We’re not going to leave it as it is; A fortnight ago, brawls had also broken out on the side of the Esplanade and there are undoubtedly links between these events.