Six Injured in Stabbing at Antwerp Pro-Kurdish Rally

Six people were injured, two of them in critical condition, in a stabbing incident during a pro-Kurdish demonstration in Antwerp, Belgium, on Thursday evening. The attack occurred near the Operaplein square, a popular tourist area, as the gathering was winding down around 7:30 p.m.

Police arrested two suspects shortly after the violence erupted. According to Wouter Bruyns, spokesperson for the Antwerp Police Zone, the demonstration had been peaceful for most of the evening, with officers already present to monitor the event. Around 50 protesters were at the rally, where Kurdish and Kurdistan Workers' Party flags were displayed. Bruyns stated that the suspects had mingled with the demonstrators before the stabbings began.

Four victims were found on Operaplein itself, all suffering stab wounds. Two additional injured individuals were located nearby, at Rooseveltplaats and Sint-Elisabethstraat. Bruyns confirmed, "Four people were injured this evening on Operaplein. All suffered stab wounds. They were all stabbed, and two victims are currently in critical condition. Medical services arrived with several teams to provide first aid. Two suspects have been arrested."