Police and firefighters support soldier caught Christmas shopping

Belgium’s military is currently deployed in the capital while the terror alert remains at level three. Soldiers are deployed at strategic locations, as well as places that might be targets for terrorist attacks.

One soldier was photographed by a member of the public walking down the street with a bag from the personal grooming shop Rituals while on patrol with a colleague, with both men armed with automatic rifles and handguns.

The army authorities immediately identified the soldier and suspended him from his duties on the grounds of unprofessional conduct. “Unbelievable what an impact that photo has had,” said the soldier, who preferred to remain anonymous, on the Facebook page of francophone radio host David Antoine.

He received support from the police, some of whom allowed themselves to be photographed for the occasion walking down the street with shopping bags. Members of the fire service joined in. “We want to show our support for the man, who’s doing the same job we do,” said one fireman on VTM News. “All the fuss is a bit over the top.”

“Sometimes you have no choice but to hop in and do some shopping during your shift, because we’re on duty for so long,” said another. “We’re still always ready to help the people who need us, though.”

Meanwhile, police have detained two people in connection with terrorist offences, following police raids on Sunday and Monday. They are suspected of planning terrorist attacks on “symbolic” targets in Brussels, like the Grote Markt and police stations.

The VRT reports that the raids centred on Brussels, Flemish Brabant and the Liège area. Six people were held for questioning, with four later freed. Two appeared before an examining magistrate and were arrested, accused of belonging to a terrorist group. No link has been established between the arrests and the attacks in Paris on 13 November.

Photo courtesy lizzprintz/Twitter