Protesters argued that the Grimbergen police did not take the incident seriously, uttering complaints about racism.

The incident took place last Wednesday evening. The boy took the bus home to Grimbergen, but the driver had doubts about his text message ticket on his mobile phone. The two engaged in a discussion, with the driver - according to demonstrators - lashing out at the boy with a knife. The victim is said to have sustained light injuries. Police intervened, but let the driver off the hook, demonstrators say.

The Halle-Vilvoorde judicial authorities confirm the discussion, adding that the boy has a superficial scratch on the skin. "We can't confirm the presence of a knife. Nobody had been stabbed."