Code Rood Under Fire: Belgium Cracks Down on Activists

Belgian climate activist group Code Rood (Code Red) is facing an escalating legal investigation after its tactics evolved from peaceful civil disobedience to property damage, including smashed windows and cut safety cables at industrial sites. On June 10, 2026, federal police conducted 19 house searches across Belgium and arrested 15 individuals linked to the collective, marking a significant escalation in the state’s response to climate activism.

Background: From Blockades to Property Damage

Code Rood, a Belgian activist collective employing civil disobedience to draw attention to the climate crisis, has been active since at least 2022. Initially focused on road blockades and peaceful occupations of TotalEnergies refineries, the group’s methods have grown increasingly confrontational. According to De Morgen, which first reported on the investigation in depth, the shift from civil disobedience to property damage has placed Code Rood squarely in the sights of Belgian judicial authorities.

The investigation centers on two major protests in 2025. On March 1, hundreds of activists — including Swedish climate figure Greta Thunberg — blocked the Cargill food processing plant in Ghent harbor, causing heavy damage. Then on October 11-12, activists targeted the ArcelorMittal steel plant in Charleroi, accusing the company of supplying weapons components to Israel.

The Police Operation

On the morning of June 10, the federal police executed coordinated raids across 12 Belgian municipalities, including Sint-Gillis, Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges, Liège, Brussels, and Anderlecht. Fifteen suspects were arrested and interrogated by the Federal Judicial Police of East Flanders. Six were brought before the investigating judge in Ghent.

Two suspects were initially placed under electronic monitoring (ankle bracelets) on June 11. However, on June 17, the Ghent Chamber of Indictment ruled that the bracelets were no longer necessary and released both individuals under conditions. The investigation is being conducted on charges of criminal organization (bendevorming) and vandalism, triggered by two civil party complaints.

The Prosecutor’s Case

The East Flanders public prosecutor’s office has detailed the severity of the damage at both protest sites. According to the prosecutor’s statement, activists cut cables, pressed emergency stops, destroyed fences, and smashed windows. At ArcelorMittal, activists climbed gas pipelines and cut safety system cables, forcing the gas line to be shut down.

“In both cases, heavy damage was inflicted: cables were cut, emergency stops were pressed, and fences were destroyed,” the prosecutor’s office stated. “These actions brought explosion risks and the danger of deadly gas leaks, as well as significant material damage.”

OCAD’s Earlier Warning

The legal crackdown comes nearly a year after Belgium’s threat analysis agency (OCAD) issued a confidential report in July 2025 warning of radicalization within the climate movement. VRT NWS reported that the report stated some Code Rood actions “could have resulted in fatalities” and noted that certain tactics could no longer be labeled “activist” but deserved the label “extremist.”

OCAD specifically highlighted the Cargill action, where pressing emergency stops and cutting data cables caused a buildup of gases in certain installations, creating “an acute explosion hazard.” The report also noted that a radical left-extremist flank — including groups like Gauche Anticapitaliste and Les Soulèvements de la Terre — was gaining influence within Code Rood, while more moderate voices were dropping out.

Code Rood’s Response

Code Rood has condemned the police raids as a traumatic and disproportionate response. In an official statement, the group described the experience of having police “break down citizens’ front doors at 5 AM, search their homes, and confiscate their phones, laptops, and notes — all in the presence of their children, friends, and family.”

The group rejected the characterization of their actions as criminal. “We condemn the depoliticization of our actions by labeling them as ‘criminal’ and ‘violent,’” the group stated. “Instead of prosecuting companies complicit in genocide, ecocide, exploitation, and starvation, ordinary citizens are being violently criminalized.”

Prominent Belgian climate activist Anuna De Wever also weighed in, writing on Instagram: “A genocidal state is more dangerous than young people with a paint can in their hand protesting against genocide and the climate crisis.”

Civil Society Divided

The raids have deepened a divide between the activist community and judicial authorities. More than 50 Belgian civil society organizations — including 11.11.11, Oxfam, Greenpeace, and trade unions ABVV and ACV — condemned the police operation, calling it part of a “trend to criminalize social movements.”

In a joint statement, the organizations called for “broad support to defend the right to protest and our rule of law.”

Broader Implications

The case raises fundamental questions about the boundaries of legitimate protest in a democracy. As climate activists increasingly turn to direct action targeting industrial infrastructure, authorities across Europe are grappling with how to respond. The UK has cracked down on Just Stop Oil, Germany has pursued members of Letzte Generation, and now Belgium is taking a similarly firm stance against Code Rood.

The release of the two suspects under conditions — rather than continued detention — suggests the court is taking a measured approach. However, the scale of the police operation sends a clear signal that Belgian authorities are willing to deploy significant resources against activist groups that cross the line from civil disobedience to property damage.

What to Watch For

The investigation remains ongoing, and further charges or arrests may follow. Key questions include whether the case will set a legal precedent for how Belgian courts handle climate activism that escalates to property damage, and whether the crackdown will deter activists or push them toward more radical tactics. The outcome could influence Belgian legislation on protest rights and shape the future of climate activism in the country.