In the taxi to the city centre, the driver said “c’est la guerre ici. On pourrait être à Baghdad”. “It’s war here. We could be in Baghdad.” As he spoke, 3 armoured vehicles drove past on the otherwise empty street.
Arriving at the Gare Centrale, soldiers were guarding the square outside the main station with FNC guns. When I tried to take a picture, they became edgy and hostile, and we were told to move on.
Walking towards the Grand Place, the streets remained empty. Usually a hub of activity, the central square was deserted. There was a another large patrol of soldiers, this time standing by the City Hall. Again, no pictures allowed. I pretended to take photos of the buildings above, and managed to get a few shots in. They kept on looking over, and the lack of people combined with the hostile soldiers (and their guns) kept us moving.
Last night, ISIS terror got the best of Brussels.
Soldiers guarding the Grand Place
Going around the pubs, squares, and streets surrounding the Grand Place, nothing was open. Of the few people walking, they had their hoods on and their heads down, walking quickly to their destinations.
On the usually cramped and crowded restaurant street of Rue Chair et Pain, tables were barricaded up against the shop windows. The lights off, combined with the barricades, silence, and heavy atmosphere was reminiscent of the set of a WWII war film.
At a certain point, we crossed a patrol of 4 soldiers speaking to a girl outside a bar. When I tried to take a photo, two police officers that we had not noticed before stepped out from inside a shadowed doorway just behind, and started to threaten us. Again, we were told to stop taking photos.
We moved quickly, trying to document as much as possible, whilst watching our back. From the lively vibrant city of just a few days ago, Brussels has become fearful, militant, and hostile to its inhabitants.
Some corner shops remained with their neon signs declaring a defiant “open”, despite the absence of anyone to sell to.
On the way back, we headed to another famous centre of Brussels nightlife: Place Flagey. On a normal Saturday night, you would struggle to find place in Cafe Belga on the corner. Tonight, the bar was shut. Its many tables and chairs were packed away, and there was no one in sight on the square.
An empty Cafe Belga last night
Last night, ISIS terror got the best of Brussels. They succeeded in disrupting normal life for its citizens, and changing this friendly and open place into a paranoid landscape more closely resembling a city under seige.
Follow me on Twitter @kimberlevans
Photo Credits: Kimberley Evans
