A police operation briefly disrupted life in the heart of Brussels’ European Quarter on Tuesday, June 3rd, after a suspicious package was discovered near a key EU building, prompting an evacuation and the closure of the city’s main political thoroughfare.
Law enforcement evacuated the Copernicus building and sealed off Rue de la Loi, the busy street that runs past the Berlaymont headquarters, the Commission’s main offices.
At 1:55 p.m., EU staff received an alert: “Police intervention. Suspicious item in front of Loi 65. Stay away from the windows. Avoid the area.” The situation was resolved less than half an hour later, with a second message sent at 2:20 p.m. stating: “Police intervention near the building finished. Situation back to normal.”
During the investigation, police cars and fire trucks cordoned off the street, and traffic came to a standstill as security teams assessed the potential threat.
Local police and fire brigade officials did not issue formal statements regarding the nature of the suspicious package. The road has since reopened and operations in the area have resumed.
