The Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) issued a statement condemning the attack against people demonstrating for Rojava in Belgium.
The statement said: “At 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 22, a terrorist attack was carried out against a peaceful demonstration in solidarity with Rojava in Antwerp, Belgium. NAV-BEL, the Democratic Council of the Belgian Kurdish Communities, reports that a group of assailants of Middle Eastern origin infiltrated the demonstration and, at a certain point, launched a knife attack, wounding six Kurdish participants, two sustaining serious injuries. The injured were transported to hospital, where they received medical treatment.”
The statement added: “Witnesses at the scene stated that the attackers were motivated by extremist Salafist ideology. The demonstration was entirely peaceful and focused on protesting the ethnic cleansing, large-scale attacks, and occupation of Kurdish regions in Syria by the Syrian Interim Government, led by Salafist leader al-Sharaa, with the full support of Turkey.
For the Kurdish community, this attack is not an isolated incident but a targeted act of terrorism. It is crucial that the Belgian authorities recognize the terrorist nature of this attack, conduct a thorough investigation, and refrain from downplaying the violence and hate speech directed at Kurds, including within Europe.”
What happened
According to information provided by NAV-BEL, the attack took place around 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, following a peaceful demonstration held at Antwerp’s Opera Square to protest attacks against Kurds in Rojava. While the demonstration, which was attended by women, children, and families, proceeded without incident, demonstrators were targeted by a group of attackers as the crowd was dispersing.
The attackers, who were reported to have infiltrated the demonstration, suddenly launched a knife attack, seriously wounding three Kurds. The injured were taken to hospital and are receiving treatment.
Belgian police stated that four injured people were found at Operaplein, while a fifth and sixth injured person were found near Rooseveltplaats and Sint-Elisabethstraat. Police reported that two of the injured are in serious condition and announced that an investigation has been launched for “attempted murder,” not “terrorism.” Antwerp police also said that four suspects have been detained and that footage from surveillance cameras is being reviewed.