“The escalation of violence is very concerning, but it was predictable,” he said. Last week, the municipal council held a closed session to listen to information from the police and the prosecution. On Monday, a public political debate again focused on the violence linked to drug trafficking in Antwerp. Bart De Wever was again criticized by the opposition for pointing the finger at the federal government, for emphasizing repression rather than prevention and for poor police strategy. The mayor referred to erroneous assertions.
“There is a war between the clans of high intensity,” said Bart De Wever. “Drug criminals who have been living abroad for a long time send Dutch teams for attacks. It’s too late to tackle this with neighborhood police.” He has also rejected accusations that local police have reduced their activities in the neighborhoods.