Politician known for threatening police resigns

Politician known for threatening police resigns

The member of the liberal Reformist Movement who regularly denigrates law enforcement officers on social media was forced to resign after attending an illegal gathering that police had to disperse using tear gas and water cannons. Before departing for the party in the capital, he shared a clearly anti-police message on social media.

WORLD POLITICS MAY 6. 2021 12:52

Julien Reintjens, a member of the Belgian liberal Reformist Movement has quit the political scene after it emerged that he took part in a large illegal party held in Brussels public Bois de la Cambre park on 1 May.

Police suspended the event, dispersing the crowd of more than 2,000 people with tear gas and water cannons as many resisted their orders. Police took 132 people in custody, while 15 participants and officers have suffered various injuries during the clash.

The fact that Julien Reintjens, a member of the Reformist Movement, also attended the illegal gathering, was only recently published by the Belgian press. Mr Reintjens has made headline news on a number of occasions with his regular anti-police manifestations. He pulled a similar stunt shortly before the illegal party too, posting a photo of himself on Facebook. He is seen stripped to the waist and wielding a huge axe, and the caption reads that he s ready to smash „helmets,” i.e. the combat helmets of police officers.

Mr Reintjens, who was an active politician as the local councillor of Châtelet, found himself in an embarrassing situation after his attendance of the illegal gathering has surfaced. He was also held responsible and by Reformist Movement chief Georges-Louis Bouchez for his openly anti-police behaviour. Mr Bouchez took to Twitter to express his shock about the events. He strongly condemned the councillor s behaviour, saying it is unacceptable in the Reformist Movement, and he demanded Mr Reintjens s dismissal.

Mr Reintjens did resign from his post as local councillor, Mr Bouchez wrote on Facebook, adding that members of the movement must demonstrate exemplary behaviour.

Le conseiller communal de #Chatelet Julien Reintjens, dont la procédure d exclusion aboutissait ce soir, a démissionné…

Közzétette: Georges-Louis Bouchez – 2021. május 5., szerda

In response to a question, Mr Reintjens told RTL that he has been in conflict with officers on multiple occasions. He claimed that last year, for instance, a police officer slammed a door on his ankle when he was forcibly led out of a school where shoed up to repair some broken equipment as a refrigeration technician. After the incident, Mr Reintjens wanted to lodge a complaint against the officer but was eventually dissuaded by his employer, allegedly a contractual partner of Charleroi Police. Mr Reintjens added that he faced considerable pressure from his employer to quit the company without severance pay, and that he failed to report the work accident. Mr Reintjens also said that he is burnt out and has been suffering from depression for six months and went on to apologise for what happened, adding that he also had some friends in law enforcement. He said he did not go to Bois de la Cambre with the intention of attacking officers, and that the axe he wields in the photo was not with him. He did, however, attend the illegal gathering, as evidenced by photos.

It did not take long for the politician s fans to create a Julien Reintjens support group on Facebook where they began encouraging and advocating anti-police violence.

Voilà la vraie histoire, C est malheureux d en arriver à un point pareil pour pouvoir être entendu. Partagez un maximum !!!

Közzétette: Soutien à julien reintjens et contre toutes ces violences policière – 2021. május 6., csütörtök

The group shared a post asking for full support for Mr Reintjens, pointing out how regretful it is that one must go through such ordeals in order to have their voices heard.

WORLD POLITICS

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france, illegal party, police, politician