Brussels Cancels New Year’s Eve Festivities Over Terror Threats

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Authorities call off the city's annual fireworks display and other celebrations due to fears of an attack

New year's eve

Authorities in Belgium’s capital have decided to cancel the city’s annual New Year’s Eve festivities and fireworks because of the threat of terrorist attacks.

The decision comes following the arrest of two people suspected of planning an attack over the holiday.

RT reports:

In a Wednesday meeting, Brussels’s mayor Yvan Mayeur and Belgian Interior Minister Jan Jambon took a joint decision to cancel Thursday evening’s festivities.

“Together with the interior minister, we’ve decided to not have the celebrations on Thursday evening,” Mayeur told the state broadcaster RTBF Wednesday night.

About 100,000 people attended the festivities and fireworks last year, according to authorities.

“The fireworks and all that was expected to bring together many people in the center of Brussels [Thursday] evening. Given the risk analysis, we are forced to cancel [the celebrations],“ Mayeur said in a live address on the local channel La Une.

Belgium has been on high alert since the Paris terror attacks on November 13.

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