Human Rights League Sues Brussels Police Over Kettling Tactics

Brussels — The Human Rights League (Ligue des Droits humains, LDH) and five victims filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against the Brussels-Capital-Ixelles police zone and Brussels Mayor Philippe Close over the repeated use of kettling — a police tactic that traps protesters in confined spaces — during demonstrations, the organization announced.

The legal action, reported by RTBF, follows a landmark March 2025 ruling by the Brussels Court of First Instance that declared kettling illegal in Belgium. The court found that “the police technique of confinement was not subject to any specific legal framework in Belgian law.” That case remains under appeal, but the judgment remains enforceable pending a decision.

What Is Kettling?

Kettling (“nasse policière” in French) is a crowd-control tactic in which police form cordons to contain a group of people within a limited area, preventing them from leaving for extended periods. The term originates from the German “Kessel” (cauldron) and was first used in Hamburg in 1986. In France, the Conseil d’État declared the practice illegal in 2021, and the European Court of Human Rights condemned France for its use of kettling in February 2024.

In Belgium, kettling has no specific legal framework — a gap the March 2025 ruling explicitly identified. The judge found the practice contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights, declaring its use illegal and condemning the Belgian state, the Brussels-Ixelles police zone, and Mayor Philippe Close for police violence during a 2021 protest at Mont des Arts.

The Lawsuit

Despite the March 2025 ruling, Brussels police have continued to deploy kettling tactics, prompting the LDH to file this new legal challenge. The organization and the five plaintiffs allege that police actions during protests on May 16, 2025, October 14, 2025, and November 10, 2025 violated multiple articles of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), including the right to liberty and security (Article 5), freedom of expression (Article 10), freedom of movement, and freedom of assembly and association (Article 11).

As La Libre Belgique reports, the LDH is also seeking an interim court order prohibiting the police zone from using kettling, with a penalty of €10,000 per instance of kettling observed.

Incidents Cited

The May 16, 2025 incident involved a peaceful pro-Palestinian gathering at Place de la Bourse in Brussels. According to an investigative report by independent media outlet En Bref, approximately 100 protesters, journalists, and bystanders were trapped in a police cordon. Witnesses reported that police used tear gas within the enclosed space, where children were present. “They’re gassing us while we’re locked in. We’re crying, we’re panicking. It’s inhumane,” one protester told En Bref.

The October 14 and November 10, 2025 incidents occurred during protests against education reform, which have seen significant public mobilization in Brussels. In each case, the LDH alleges that police deployed the same tactic — encircling demonstrators without legal basis and holding them for extended periods.

A photographer assaulted during the May 2025 kettling told investigators: “They told me if I didn’t give them my camera, they’d break it. Then they slammed me against a police van and strangled me.” The LDH argues that such actions represent a systematic pattern of rights violations rather than isolated incidents.

Broader Context of Police Violence

The LDH has been documenting police violence in Belgium for years through its Observatory of Police Violence. On June 8, 2026, thousands gathered in Brussels to protest police violence against young people, with police deploying tear gas and water cannon. As DHnet reported, 2,500 protesters were counted at that demonstration.

Legal Significance

This case tests the enforceability of the March 2025 ruling. If the court grants the interim measure with €10,000 penalties, it would create a powerful deterrent against future use of kettling. The case also raises fundamental questions about the relationship between the judiciary and police operations in Belgium.

Me Pauline Delgrange, lawyer for the plaintiffs in the original March 2025 case, said at the time: “All these practices, which we frequently see at demonstrations, are now considered illegal by the court.”

The LDH’s legal strategy is significant: by seeking an interim injunction with escalating financial penalties, the organization aims to create immediate, enforceable consequences for police commanders who authorize kettling. Legal experts suggest this approach could prove more effective than the original ruling, which — while symbolically important — lacked a clear enforcement mechanism.

Political Dimensions

The lawsuit directly targets Mayor Philippe Close, who serves as both the political leader of Brussels and the head of the local police. A spokesperson for Close previously stated that the mayor “fully supports the Palestinian cause and the demonstrations” but refuses to allow them at Place de la Bourse, calling it “not a political place” and “not secure for protesters or police.” Critics argue this position is contradictory, as the mayor authorizes the police tactics he claims to regret.

What’s Next

The court will now consider the LDH’s request for an interim injunction. If granted, Brussels police would face significant financial penalties for each future instance of kettling. The case could also trigger legislative action by the Belgian federal government to establish a formal legal framework for crowd-control tactics, or potentially ban kettling outright.

The ongoing appeal of the March 2025 ruling adds another layer of complexity. Meanwhile, the LDH continues to call for greater accountability and transparency in policing practices across Belgium.