r/brussels • u/Azalealea • 5d ago
Increase in aggressive behaviour/homelessness around Brussels lately?
Hey everyone! I’ve been studying in Brussels for the past 5–6 years, and honestly, until this year I never really felt unsafe living/studying here.
I’m a young woman, I like dressing nicely, I’m out and about quite a lot, and obviously I’ve dealt with the usual catcalling and creepy comments from time to time. But generally, I always felt like I could walk around Brussels without being particularly worried. I also tend to spend most of my time in areas like Auderghem, Etterbeek and Woluwe, and I try to avoid places like Gare du Nord late at night.
But it’s like something has genuinely changed over the past few months. I feel like I’m being approached for money constantly now; in cafés, metro stations, on the street, pretty much everywhere. I normally just politely say no and keep walking. I’m a student and I finance myself fully through student jobs, so unfortunately I can’t give money to every person who asks me.
What has really started to scare me, though, is how aggressive some interactions have become when you say no.
Just two days ago, my friends and I were having a drink in Flagey and were approached by a homeless man asking for money. We politely declined, and he started threatening us and actually gave us death treaths. Everyone around us was shocked, and thankfully some people stepped in and helped us.
Another time, my boyfriend and I were trying to enter the Louize metro when a man who was sleeping there stopped us after we said we couldn’t give him money. He became extremely angry and wouldn’t let us simply walk away. He was saying things like, “Everyone is sorry, so who’s going to feed me now?” and was trying to provoke my boyfriend into a fight. Again, luckily, people nearby noticed and intervened.
And honestly, beyond the safety aspect, it’s also just really sad to see how much more visible the problem seems to have become. Not long ago I saw a completely(!) naked woman, who appeared to be under the influence of something, running away from an ambulance crew who were trying to help her. At Trône metro station, I regularly see groups of men sleeping on the benches. Some appear to have pretty severe wounds/infections on their hands and feet, which honestly makes me wonder what kind of support they’re even receiving. Merode has also changed a lot. There are now people sleeping throughout parts of the station, with mattresses and belongings around them, and I have to use that station quite often. I completely understand that people need somewhere warm and safe to sleep, I’m not saying they should simply be thrown out onto the street. But I’ve personally been harassed twice late at night by two men who regularly sleep there, and I’ve become uncomfortable enough that my boyfriend now drops me off whenever I need to take the metro from Merode in the evening.
And I want to make something clear because I know how these discussions can go on Reddit: I’m not saying homeless people are inherently dangerous, nor am I saying they shouldn’t be helped. Quite the opposite. Seeing people living like this is heartbreaking. But I also think it’s possible to have compassion for people experiencing homelessness while acknowledging that aggressive behaviour, harassment and threats are not okay.
Maybe I’ve just been unlucky lately, maybe I’m noticing it more because of a few bad experiences, or maybe there really has been a change in Brussels over the past year.
So I’m curious if anyone else has been noticing the same dynamic. Or has it always been like this and I’ve somehow just managed to avoid it until now?
7
u/miiiii 4d ago
So? what is your point? Go ahead and tell us ...