Belgian riot police deploy water cannon against 'fascists' in Brussels square
Some members of the group were seen making Nazi salutes
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Your support makes all the difference.Belgian riot police have deployed water cannon to the Place de la Bourse in Brussels in a bid to disperse a right-wing march that has disrupted a peaceful rally.
Hundreds of people had assembled informally in the large public square to remember the 31 victims of last Tuesday's terror attacks when dozens of men, some wearing masks and balaclavas, barged to the centre.
It comes after a planned peace march through the city was cancelled at the request of Brussels police, who said they were too thinly-stretched to provide enough security for a large-scale demonstration.
The group of black-clad men had mounted the steps of the stock exchange building in the square and started chanting slogans against the Isis jihadist group.
Some members of the group were seen making Nazi salutes, confronting ethnic minority groups and throwing flares.
Riot squads joined police in the square a short while later and, after they ignored requests to disperse in line with the earlier advice from officials, water cannons were deployed. People gathered at the vigil cheered as the protesters were driven away.
Adrian Liston, who was present at the vigil, told the BBC that the memorial had been disrupted by a “bunch of skinheads” who had turned up “in force”.
“They marched into the square and started a major confrontation with the peace protesters,” he added.
“At this point they were really starting to get in the face of the peace protesters, the face of the police, setting off flares, setting off fireworks, and chanting stuff that was really quite ugly.”
Earlier, Belgian police carried out 13 new raids across Brussels as part of a major crackdown in the wake of the terror attacks last week.
The raids took place in various districts and led to nine arrests, with suspects questioned "in the context of terrorism", a statement read.
Five were later released, the federal prosecutor's office said, with no further details provided.
Belgian police have also charged a second suspect with involvement in a terrorist group as part of the investigation into a foiled attack on Paris.
The man charged was identified as A Abderrahmane, who wasshot and arrested during a raid in the Brussels district of Schaerbeek on Friday.
Prosecutors said on Saturday that Abderrahmane would be detained for a further 24 hours, and the Belgian press agency Belga said on Sunday he has now been charged.
It reported that he was charged in connection with a related raid in France this week, which authorities have previously said foiled an apparent attack.
Meanwhile, the Belgian interior minister admitted that errors were made in the run-up to the Brussels attacks that killed at least 31 people and wounded 270 others on Tuesday.
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