Lucas Ablotia, a 20-year-old Brussels resident, says he was the victim of insults and hateful remarks during an electro party held at a trendy Molenbeek venue last Friday. His account, shared on the social network X, has generated a lot of reaction. For La DH, he recounts the events and denounces the fact that his complaint could not be accepted at the police station.
“I went to the party with two friends. I was chatting quietly with people around me. A member of staff came up to me and told me I should follow him, as they had something to tell me. I followed him to the entrance of the cafe. There, about four other members of staff were waiting for me ,” says the young man of Georgian origin.
Lucas readily shares political content on his social media, where he is followed by 2,000 people on Instagram and more than 4,500 on X. This is why he was allegedly confronted and accused of being “an agent of Israel” and “a pro-Israeli propagandist.” ”
These are very serious accusations, making me out to be horrible. Several witnesses to the scene were stunned by the treatment I received. I replied that I was not a propagandist. I have my opinion: I recognize Israel’s right to exist, I demand the release of the hostages, and I support a two-state solution—without Hamas in Gaza,” explains the man who fled Georgia two years ago for speaking out against anti-LGBTQIA+ policies.
“At the same time, my friends also had a tense discussion with the staff. We told one of them : ‘Lucas better get out of here, right now, or he’ll get killed.’
We then left and started running when we saw a group of men following us in the street, insulting us. They threw stones at us and chased us through the streets. We managed to escape by taking the metro at Sainte-Catherine. For the same price, it could have ended dramatically ,” he adds.
“The police officer refused to register our complaint.”
The three friends then decided to go to the police station near the Grand-Place to file a complaint.
“We recounted everything we had experienced: the insults, the death threats, the stone throwing. The police refused to let us file a complaint because there were no deaths or injuries. We insisted, but we were refused ,” he regrets. ”
I want to emphasize one essential thing: I distinguish this individual error from that of the Belgian police as a whole. It was a personal decision, and that is precisely why I believe that this type of situation must be corrected through the justice system and institutions. I believe that the police exist to protect all citizens, without exception.”
Homophobic attack last February
In response, many people expressed their support for Lucas Ablotia, including Brussels MP Viviane Teitelbaum (MR), who says she is regularly the victim of threats and intimidation. ”
Crazy! How can the police refuse to take a complaint? Attacking and threatening is no longer enough? It happened to me once, you have to insist! Don’t accept it! Courage!”We attempted to contact the establishment in question and the Brussels Capital Ixelles police zone to get a reaction, but to no avail.
