Six people were stabbed during a Kurdish demonstration near Opera Square in Antwerp, Belgium, on Thursday night, according to Antwerp-based Dutch-language newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws.
Four of the injured were found at Opera Square itself, Het Laatste Nieuws reported, while two others were discovered on nearby streets before being evacuated to the hospital for medical treatement.
“Two of the victims are in critical condition,” Antwerp Police Spokesperson Wouter Bruyns was quoted as saying, noting that four suspects had been arrested.
The demonstration was organized by the Belgian Kurdistan Communities Democratic Council (NAV-BEL) in support of Kurds in Syria‘s Rojava region, who, according to Het Laatste Nieuws, called the attack “terror-motivated” in a late Thursday statement.
“This is no different from jihadists who specifically attack civilians in the streets, at Christmas markets, or other public places. The Belgian government must acknowledge that Kurds, even in Antwerp, are victims of hate speech and racist and jihadist-inspired violence.”