The Public Prosecutor today ordered an investigation into Saturday’s clash between police and Jewish demonstrators during which the police reportedly shouted anti-Semitic epithets. The clash occurred in the borough of St. Josse where Jewish youth groups were protesting the Soviet treatment of Jews. David Susskind, president of the coordinating committee of Jewish organizations in Belgium was arrested but released after brief questioning.
Police claimed the demonstration was not authorized and that the protestors refused to obey orders, disrupted traffic and damaged a police car. They denied that anti-Semitic insults were made. The Belgian Jewish Youth Federation which organized the demonstration claimed otherwise. So far, none of the parents of the demonstrators have protested. Asked if they were planning legal action, Susskind replied, “not yet.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
