Greetings from Antwerp, Belgium
date: 19/12/2019
City: Antwerpen
Country: Belgium
- What end of year festivities will be taking place in your city? (e.g. Christmas markets, concerts, public meetings)
The Christmas market spreads over a big part of the historic centre of the city; 100,000 people attend the new year’s fireworks along the banks of the river Scheldt.
- Could you please describe briefly what additional measures are being taken to secure your city’s public spaces during the festivities?
The Christmas market and new year’s activities are soft targets which require elevated security approach. Extra first line police officers are deployed on a daily basis. Infrastructural measures are taken to protect crowded places by putting in place ‘Pitagone’ vehicle barriers. Extra cameras are put in place. On the busiest days extra staff and material is added ranging from SWAT-teams with a bearcat on stand by up to BDO-teams (behaviour detection officers) are in place as well as explosive detection dogs.
- What are the main challenges?
Keeping the atmosphere of a period of celebration as a joyful event in balance with the current need to protect and reassure the public towards potential threats.