ANTWERP, BELGIUM – JANUARY 22, 2026 In the center of Antwerp, Belgium, a knife attack occurred during or shortly after a Kurdish demonstration, injuring six people, two of whom sustained serious injuries.
The demonstration took place at the well-known Opera Square (Operaplein), where around 50 people had gathered, including families with children, women, and young people, to show support for Kurds in northern Syria. The protest featured Kurdish flags and was initially peaceful.
According to police, the attackers likely blended in with the demonstrators, and just as the event was about to end around 7:20 PM local time, they pulled out knives and began stabbing participants indiscriminately. The injured were found both on the square and in the surrounding streets.
Belgian police announced that four suspects were arrested, and the incident is officially being investigated as attempted murder, not as a terrorist act, with video footage and further investigations ongoing.
Protest organizers from the Kurdish community NAV-BEL described the attack as a targeted, motivated assault against the Kurdish community and urged authorities not to treat it as an isolated act of violence. According to them, it represents a more serious incident reflecting growing tensions toward Kurds even in Belgium.
All the injured were taken to the hospital for treatment, and a planned Friday demonstration was canceled out of respect for the victims.
READ MORE:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/22/six-injured-after-knife-attack-at-kurdish-demonstration-in-antwerp-belgium
https://bnonews.com/index.php/2026/01/6-injured-in-stabbing-attack-at-kurdish-demonstration-in-belgium/
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/stabbings-at-kurdish-demo-in-belgium-wound-six-10845016
https://www.jpost.com/international/article-884293
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2630302/amp
